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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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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I Samuel 22
22
David’s Four Hundred Men
1David therefore departed from there and #Ps. 34:titleescaped #Ps. 57:title; 142:titleto the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2#Josh. 12:15; 15:35; 2 Sam. 23:13And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about #Judg. 11:3four hundred men with him.
3Then David went from there to Mizpah of #1 Sam. 25:13Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.” 4So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.
5Now the prophet #2 Sam. 8:2Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.
Saul Murders the Priests
6When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered—now Saul was staying in #2 Sam. 24:11; 1 Chr. 21:9; 29:29; 2 Chr. 29:25Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him— 7then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse #1 Sam. 15:34give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? 8All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that #1 Sam. 8:14my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”
9Then answered #1 Sam. 18:3; 20:16, 30Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to #1 Sam. 21:7; 22:22; Ps. 52:titleAhimelech the son of #1 Sam. 21:1Ahitub. 10#1 Sam. 14:3And he inquired of the Lord for him, #Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 10:22gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11So the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob. And they all came to the king. 12And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!”
He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13Then Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”
14So Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as #1 Sam. 21:6, 9faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house? 15Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.”
16And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all #1 Sam. 19:4, 5; 20:32; 24:11your father’s house!” 17Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king #Deut. 24:16would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord. 18And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and #Ex. 1:17killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod. 19#1 Sam. 2:31Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.
20#Josh. 21:1–45; 1 Sam. 22:9, 11Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, #1 Sam. 23:6, 9; 30:7; 1 Kin. 2:26, 27escaped and fled after David. 21And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the Lord’s priests. 22So David said to Abiathar, “I knew 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. 23Stay with me; do not fear. #1 Sam. 2:33For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe.”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.