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 Kings 22
22
1David therefore went from thence and fled to the cave of Odollam. And when his brethren and all his father's house had heard of it they went down to him thither.
2And all that were in distress and oppressed with debt, and under affliction of mind gathered themselves unto him. And he became their prince. And there were with him about four hundred men.
3And David departed from thence into Maspha of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab: Let my father and my mother tarry with you, I beseech thee, till I know what God will do for me.
4And he left them under the eyes of the king of Moab: and they abode with him all the days that David was in the hold.
5And Gad the prophet said to David: Abide not in the hold. Depart, and go into the land of Juda. And David departed, and came into the forest of Haret.
6And Saul heard that David was seen, and the men that were with him. Now whilst Saul abode in Gabaa, and was in the wood, which is by Rama, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him,
7He said to his servants that stood about him: Hear me now, ye sons of Jemini: Will the son of Isai give everyone of you fields, and vineyards, and make you all tribunes, and centurions:
8That all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one to inform me, especially when even my son hath entered into league with the son of Isai? There is not one of you that pitieth my case, nor that giveth me any information: because my son hath raised up my servant against me, plotting against me to this day.
9And Doeg the Edomite who stood by, and was the chief among the servants of Saul, answering, said: I saw the son of Isai, in Nobe, with Achimelech the son of Achitob the priest.
10And he consulted the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
11Then the king sent to call for Achimelech the priest the son of Achitob, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nobe; and they came all of them to the king.
12And Saul said to Achimelech: Hear, thou son of Achitob. He answered: Here I am, my lord.
13And Saul said to him: Why have you conspired against me, thou, and the son of Isai. And thou hast given him bread and a sword, and hast consulted the Lord for him, that he should rise up against me, continuing a traitor to this day.
14And Achimelech answering the king said: And who amongst all thy servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and goeth forth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thy house?
15Did I begin to-day to consult the Lord for him? Far be this from me. Let not the king suspect such a thing against his servant, or any one in all my father's house: for thy servant knew nothing of this matter, either little or great.
16And the king said: Dying, thou shalt die, Achimelech. Thou and all thy father's house.
17And the king said to the messengers that stood about him: Turn, and kill the priests of the Lord. For their hand is with David: because they knew that he was fled; and they told it not to me. And the king's servants would not put forth their hands against the priests of the Lord.
18And the king said to Doeg: Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and fell upon the priests, and slew in that day eighty-five men that wore the linen ephod.
19And Nobe the city of the priests he smote with the edge of his sword, both men and women, children, and sucklings, and ox and ass, and sheep with the edge of the sword.
20But one of the sons of Achimelech the son of Achitob, whose name was Abiathar, escaped, and fled to David,
21And told him that Saul had slain the priests of the Lord.
22And David said to Abiathar: I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that without doubt he would tell Saul. I have been the occasion of the death of all the souls of thy father's house.
23Abide thou with me. Fear not: for he that seeketh my life, seeketh thy life also; and with me thou shalt be saved.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.