15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

16And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.

17And he said to him, "Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this."

18And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

19Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?

20Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand."

21And Saul said, "May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me.

22Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning.

23See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah."

24And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.

25And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them,

27a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land."

28So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.

29And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.