1. Someone told David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah. They are robbing grain from the threshing floors.”
2. David asked the Lord, “Should I go and fight these Philistines?”The Lord answered him, “Go. Attack them, and save Keilah.”
3. But David’s men said to him, “We’re afraid here in Judah. We will be much more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistine army is.”
4. David again asked the Lord. And the Lord answered, “Go down to Keilah. I will help you defeat the Philistines.”
5. So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought the Philistines and took their cattle. David killed many Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.
6. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the holy vest with him. He brought it when he came to David at Keilah.)
7. Someone told Saul that David was now at Keilah. Saul said, “God has given David to me! He has trapped himself because he has entered a town with gates and bars.”
8. Saul called all his army together for battle. They prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9. David learned Saul was making evil plans against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the holy vest.”
10. David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, I have heard about Saul’s plans. He is coming to Keilah to destroy the town because of me.
11. Will the people of Keilah give me to Saul? Will Saul come to Keilah, as I heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell me, your servant!”The Lord answered, “Saul will come down.”
12. Again David asked, “Will the people of Keilah give me and my men to Saul?”The Lord answered, “They will.”
13. So David and his men left Keilah. There were about 600 men who went with him. And they kept moving from place to place. When Saul found that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.