1 Samuel 22
22
David at Adullam and Mizpah
1David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. His brothers and the other members of his family heard about it. So they went down to join him there. 2Everyone who was in trouble or owed money or was unhappy gathered around him. He became their commander. About 400 men were with him.
3From there David went to Mizpah in Moab. He spoke to the king of Moab. He said, “Please let my father and mother come and stay with you. Let them stay until I learn what God will do for me.” 4So David left his parents with the king of Moab. They stayed with him as long as David was in his usual place of safety.
5But the prophet Gad spoke to David. He said, “Don’t stay in your usual place of safety. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
Saul Kills the Priests at Nob
6Saul heard that the place where David and his men were hiding had been discovered. Saul was sitting under a tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah. He was holding his spear. All his officials were standing at his side. 7Saul said to them, “Men of Benjamin, listen to me! Do you think Jesse’s son will give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make some of you commanders of thousands of men? Do you think he’ll make the rest of you commanders of hundreds? 8Is that why all of you have joined together against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with Jesse’s son. None of you is concerned about me. No one tells me that my son has stirred up Jesse’s son to hide and wait to attack me. But that’s exactly what’s happening now.”
9Doeg was standing with Saul’s officials. He was from Edom. He said, “I saw Jesse’s son David come to Ahimelek at Nob. Ahimelek is the son of Ahitub. 10Ahimelek asked the Lord a question for David. He also gave him food and the sword of Goliath, the Philistine.”
11Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek, the son of Ahitub. The king also sent for all the men in his family. They were the priests at Nob. All of them came to the king. 12Saul said, “Son of Ahitub, listen to me.”
“Yes, master,” he answered.
13Saul said to him, “Why have you and Jesse’s son joined together against me? Why did you give him bread and a sword? Why did you ask God a question for him? Now he has turned against me. He is hiding and waiting to attack me right now.”
14Ahimelek answered the king, “David is faithful to you. In fact, he’s more faithful to you than anyone else who serves you. He’s your own son-in-law. He’s the captain of your own personal guards. He’s highly respected by everyone in your palace. 15Was that day the first time I asked God a question for him? Of course not! Please don’t bring charges against me. Please don’t bring charges against anyone in my family. I don’t know anything at all about this whole matter.”
16But the king said, “Ahimelek, you will certainly be put to death. You and your whole family will be put to death.”
17Then the king gave an order to the guards at his side. He said, “Go and kill the priests of the Lord. They are on David’s side too. They knew he was running away from me. And they didn’t even tell me.”
But the king’s officials wouldn’t raise a hand to strike down the priests of the Lord.
18Then the king ordered Doeg, “You go and strike down the priests.” So Doeg, the Edomite, went and struck them down. That day he killed 85 priests who wore linen aprons. 19He also killed the people of Nob with his sword. Nob was a town where priests lived. Doeg killed its men and women. He killed its children and babies. He also destroyed its cattle, donkeys and sheep.
20But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelek, escaped. Ahimelek was the son of Ahitub. Abiathar ran away and joined David. 21He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22Then David said to Abiathar, “One day I was at Nob. I saw Doeg, the Edomite, there. I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. Your whole family has been killed. And I’m responsible for it. 23So stay with me. Don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you wants to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”
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1 Samuel 22: NIrV
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1 Samuel 22
22
David Protects His Parents
1#Jos 12:15; 15:35David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down to him there. 2#Jdg 11:3; 1Sa 23:13There gathered to him every one that was in distress, and every one in debt, and every one that was discontented. So he became captain over them. Now there were with him about four hundred men.
3Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come forth and be with you until I know what God will do for me.” 4He brought them before the king of Moab, and they lived with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.
5#2Sa 24:11; 1Ch 21:9The prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah.” So David went and came to the forest of Hereth.
Saul Kills the Priests of Nob
6When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him were discovered, Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the hill with his spear in his hand. And all his servants were standing about him. 7Saul said to his servants that stood about him, “Hear now, Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he appoint you all as captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? 8#1Sa 18:3; 23:21You have all conspired against me, and no one revealed to me that my son made a covenant with the son of Jesse. And not one of you is grieved for me and revealed it to me that my son raised up my servant against me to ambush me as at this day.”
9#Ps 52:1–9Then Doeg the Edomite, who was chief over the servants of Saul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelek the son of Ahitub. 10#Nu 27:21; 1Sa 23:2And he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions. And he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11So the king sent to summon Ahimelek the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob. And they all came to the king. 12Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!”
And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13#1Sa 22:8Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you gave him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me to ambush me, as at this day?”
14#1Sa 19:4–5; 20:32Then Ahimelek answered the king and said, “And who is as faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, chief of your bodyguard, and is honored in your house? 15#1Sa 25:36Did I just today begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king assign any blame to his servant, or to all the house of my father. For your servant has known nothing of all this matter, whether small or great.”
16The king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and all your father’s house.”
17#Ex 1:17The king said to the guards standing near him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand is with David. And because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me.”
But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to attack the priests of the Lord.
18The king said to Doeg, “You turn and fall upon the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod. 19#1Sa 15:3And Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword. Both men and women, children and babies, oxen, donkeys, and sheep, he struck with the edge of the sword.
David, Protector of the Priestly Line
20#1Sa 23:6; 30:7; 1Ki 2:26–27But one of the sons of Ahimelek the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21Abiathar reported to David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22David said to Abiathar, “I knew it that day when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23#1Ki 2:26Remain with me. Do not fear. For the one who seeks my life seeks your life, but you are safe with me.”
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