19 Some people from Ziph went to visit Saul at Gibeah. They said to Saul, ‘David is hiding among our people. He is on Hakilah hill, south of Jeshimon. He is hiding in the Horesh hills. 20 Now, King Saul, we know that you want to catch David. So you can come to our land at any time. We will help you to catch him.’
21 Saul replied, ‘I ask the Lord to bless you, because you have been kind to me. 22 Do a bit more to help me now. Make sure that you know where he is. Find the people who have seen him there. I have heard that David is very clever. 23 Find all the places where he hides. When you know all about him, come back and tell me. Then I will come with you. If he is still in that region, I will surely find him. I will look through all the land of Judah and I will catch him.’
24 So the people returned to Ziph before Saul himself went there. David and his men were in the Maon Desert. This was south of Jeshimon, in the Jordan Valley. 25 Saul and his men started to look for David. But David heard about this. So he and his men went to hide at a great rock in the Maon Desert. When Saul heard about this, he and his men went into the Maon Desert to find David.
