1 Samuel 23:7-13

New Catholic Bible

Saul Chases David.^{[a] 7} Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hands for he has trapped himself behind gates and bars.” ⁸ Then Saul assembled all of the people for war, to go down to Keilah and lay siege to David and his men.

⁹ David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him, so he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” ¹⁰ David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has truly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on account of me. ¹¹ Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hands? Will Saul come down here as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, I beg you to tell your servant.” The Lord said, “He will come down.” ¹² Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hands of Saul?” The Lord answered, “They will deliver you over.”

¹³ So David and his men (there were around six hundred of them) left Keilah and went wherever they could go. Saul heard that David had left Keilah, so he halted the pursuit.