1 Samuel 22
22
1David escaped and went to the cave of Adullam. When they heard where he was his brothers and all the rest of his family went and joined him there. 2Everyone who was in trouble or in debt or resentful also came to him and he became their leader. He had around four hundred men with him.
3Then David went to Mizpeh in the country of Moab. He asked the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come and stay with you until I find out what God is planning for me.” 4So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with the king all the time David lived in the stronghold.#22:4. “Stronghold”: probably referring to his camp at the cave of Adullam.
5But then the prophet Gad told David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go back to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
6Saul found out that David had returned and where he was. Saul was sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill in Gibeah. He had his spear in his hand, with all his officials surrounding him.
7Saul said to them, “Listen to me, you men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse going to give all of you fields and vineyards and make you commanders and officers in the army? 8Is that why you've all plotted against me? Not a single one of you told me that my own son had made an agreement with Jesse's son. Not a single one of you has shown you cared about me, or explained to me that my son has encouraged him to try and kill me, which is what he's doing right now!”
9Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul's officers, spoke up, saying, “I saw the son of Jesse visit Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, at Nob. 10Ahimelech asked advice from the Lord for him and gave him food. He gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine as well.”
11The king sent a message to summon Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and all his family, who were priests at Nob. They all came to the king.
12“Now you listen, son of Ahitub,” the king shouted.
“What is it, my lord?” Ahimelech asked.
13“Why have you and the son of Jesse plotted against me? You gave him bread and a sword, and asked advice from God for him so that he could rebel against me and try and kill me, which is what he's doing right now!”
14“Who of all your officers is as trustworthy as David, the king's son-in-law? He is in charge of your bodyguard, and highly respected in your family!” Ahimelech responded. 15“And was that day the first time he asked advice from God on his behalf? Of course not! The king should not accuse me your servant or any of my family, for I didn't know anything about any of this.”
16“You're going to die for this!” the king declared. “You and all your family!”
17Then the king turned to his bodyguards standing there and ordered them, “Kill these priests of the Lord, because they're on David's side! They knew he was a fugitive and yet they didn't tell me!” But the king's guards refused to attack the priests of the Lord.
18So the king ordered Doeg, “You kill the priests!” Doeg the Edomite attacked and killed the priests, killing eighty-five men wearing the priestly ephod. 19Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and slaughtered its men and women, children and infants, cattle, donkeys, and sheep.
20But one of the sons of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, managed to escape. His name was Abiathar, and he ran away and joined David. 21He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22David told Abiathar, “I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he was going to tell Saul about it. It's my fault that all your family have died. 23But you can stay with me and you don't need to be afraid, because the man who wants to kill you wants to kill me too. I'll take good care of you.”
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1 Samuel 22: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
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.