^{1 Ref} And they sent word to David, saying, The Philistines are fighting against Keilah and taking the grain from the grain-floors.

^{2 Ref} So David, questioning the Lord, said, Am I to go and make an attack on these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go and make an attack on the Philistines so that Keilah may be kept from falling into their hands.

^{3 Ref} And David's men said to him, Even here in Judah we are full of fear: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

^{4 Ref} Then David put the question to the Lord again, and the Lord answering said, Up! go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into your hands.

⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah, and had a fight with the Philistines, and took away their cattle, and put them to the sword with great destruction. So David was the saviour of the people of Keilah.

^{6 Ref} Now when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, went in flight to David, he came down to Keilah with the ephod in his hand.