10. And David said, “O Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.
11. Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, please tell your servant!” And Yahweh said, “He will come down.”
12. Then David said, “Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And Yahweh said, “They will deliver you.”
13. So David and his men got up, about six hundred men, and went out from Keilah and wandered wherever they could go. When it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he stopped his pursuit.
14. David remained in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him continually, but God did not give him into his hand.
15. When David realized that Saul had gone out to seek his life, David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
16. So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him through God.
17. He said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. My father Saul knows this also.”
18. Then the two of them made a covenant before Yahweh. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.
19. Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon?
20. So then, O king, whenever you want to come down, come down, and it will be for us to deliver him into the hand of the king.”
21. And Saul said to them, “May you be blessed by Yahweh, for you have shown me compassion!
22. Go, please, make certain again! Find out and see exactly where he is and who has seen him there! For they have said to me, ‘He is very cunning.’