24 So those people went back to Ziph before Saul. David and his men were in the desert of Maon, south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul and his men went to look for David, but the people warned him. They told David that Saul was looking for him. So David then went down to “The Rock” in the desert of Maon. Saul heard that David had gone there, so Saul went to that place to find him.
26 Saul was on one side of the mountain. David and his men were on the other side of the same mountain. David was moving as quickly as possible to get away from Saul. But Saul and his soldiers were going around the mountain to cut them off and trap David and his men.
27 Then a messenger arrived and told Saul, “Come quickly! The Philistines are attacking.”
28 So Saul stopped chasing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why people call this place “Slippery Rock.”
29 David left the desert of Maon and went to the fortresses near En Gedi.