<t /><p class="bodytext">They told David, &#8220;The Philistines are fighting in Keilah and are looting the threshing floors.&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He took away their cattle and thoroughly defeated them.<n id="1" /> David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.p>

<p class="bodytext">So David and his men, who numbered about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another.<n id="1" /> When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition.

So David asked the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;Should I go and strike down these Philistines?&#8221; The <sc>Lordsc> said to David, &#8220;Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">But David&#8217;s men said to him, &#8220;We are afraid while we are still here in Judah! What will it be like if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?&#8221;

So David asked the <sc>Lordsc> once again. But again the <sc>Lordsc> replied, &#8220;Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.&#8221;p>

When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, &#8220;God has delivered<n id="1" /> him into my hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a city with two barred gates.&#8221;<n id="2" />

So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.<n id="1" />p>

Then David said, &#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning<n id="1" /> to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.

Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, please inform your servant!&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;He will come down.&#8221;

David asked, &#8220;Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul&#8217;s hand?&#8221; The <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;They will deliver you over.&#8221;p>