Kings I 22

1 And David departed thence, and escaped; and he comes to the cave of Odollam, and his brethren hear, and the house of his father, and they go down to him there.

And David goes from there, and escapes to the cave of Adullam, and his brothers hear, and all the house of his father, and they go down to him there;

2 And there gathered to him every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was troubled in mind; and he was a leader over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.

and every man in distress gathers themselves to him, and every man who has an exactor, and every man bitter in soul, and he is for head over them, and there are about four hundred men with him.

3 And David departed thence to Massephath of Moab, and said to the king of Moab, Let, I pray thee, my father and my mother be with thee, until I know what God will do to me.

And David goes from there to Mizpeh of Moab and says to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come out with you, until I know what God does for me”;

4 And he persuaded the King of Moab, and they dwell with him continually, while David was in the hold.

and he leads them before the king of Moab, and they dwell with him all the days of David’s being in the fortress.

5 And Gad the prophet said to David, Dwell not in the hold: go, and thou shalt enter the land of Juda. So David went, and came and dwelt in the city of Saric.

And the prophet Gad says to David, “You do not abide in a fortress, go, and you have entered the land of Judah for yourself”; and David goes and enters the forest of Hareth.

6 And Saul heard that David was discovered, and his men with him: now Saul dwelt in the hill below the field that is in Rama, and his spear [was] in his hand, and all his servants stood near him.

And Saul hears that David has become known, and the men who [are] with him, and Saul is abiding in Gibeah, under the grove in Ramah, and his spear [is] in his hand, and all his servants [are] standing by him.

7 And Saul said to his servants that stood by him, Hear now, ye sons of Benjamin, will the son of Jessae indeed give all of you fields and vineyards, and will he make you all captains of hundreds and captains of thousands?

And Saul says to his servants who are standing by him, “Now hear, sons of Benjamin; does the son of Jesse also give fields and vineyards to all of you? Does he appoint all of you [to be] heads of thousands and heads of hundreds?

8 That ye are conspiring against me, and there is no one that informs me, whereas my son has made a covenant with the son of Jessae, and there is no one of you that is sorry for me, or informs me, that my son has stirred up my servant against me for an enemy, as [it is] this day?

For all of you have conspired against me, and there is none uncovering my ear about my son’s cutting [a covenant] with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you grieving for me, and uncovering my ear, that my son has raised up my servant against me, to lie in wait as [at] this day.”

9 And Doec the Syrian who was over the mules of Saul answered and said, I saw the son of Jessae as he came to Nomba to Abimelech son of Achitob the priest.

And Doeg the Edomite answers, who is set over the servants of Saul, and says, “I have seen the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub,

10 And [the priest] enquired of God for him, and gave him provision, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

and he inquires of YHWH for him, and has given provision to him, and has given the sword of Goliath the Philistine to him.”

11 And the king sent to call Abimelech son of Achitob and all his father's sons, the priests that were in Nomba; and they all came to the king.

And the king sends to call Ahimelech son of Ahitub, the priest, and all the house of his father, the priests, who [are] in Nob, and all of them come to the king;

12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Achitob. And he said, Lo! I [am here], speak, [my] lord.

and Saul says, “Now hear, son of Ahitub”; and he says, “Here I [am], my lord.”

13 And Saul said to him, Why have thou and the son of Jessae conspired against me, that thou shouldest give him bread and a sword, and shouldest enquire of God for him, to raise him up against me as an enemy, as [he is] this day?

And Saul says to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, by your giving bread and a sword to him, and to inquire of God for him, to rise against me, to lie in wait, as [at] this day?”

14 And he answered the king, and said, And who [is] there among all thy servants faithful as David, and [he is] a son-in-law of the king, and [he is] executor of all thy commands, and [is] honourable in thy house?

And Ahimelech answers the king and says, “And who among all your servants [is] as David—faithful, and son-in-law of the king, and has turned aside to your council, and is honored in your house?

15 Have I begun to-day to enquire of God for him? By no means: let not the king bring a charge against his servant, and against thee whole of my father's house; for thy servant knew not in all these matters anything great or small.

Today have I begun to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Do not let the king lay anything against his servant, against any of the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, little or much.”

16 And king Saul said, Thou shalt surely die, Abimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

And the king says, “You surely die, Ahimelech, you and all the house of your father.”

17 And the king said to the footmen that attended on him, Draw nigh and slay the priests of the Lord, because their hand [is] with David, and because they knew that he fled, and they did not inform me. But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to fall upon the priest of the Lord.

And the king says to the runners, those standing by him, “Turn around, and put the priests of YHWH to death, because their hand [is] also with David, and because they have known that he is fleeing, and have not uncovered my ear”; and the servants of the king have not been willing to put forth their hand to come against the priests of YHWH.

18 And the king said to Doec, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests: and Doec the Syrian turned, and slew the priests of the Lord in that day, three hundred and five men, all wearing an ephod.

And the king says to Doeg, “Turn around, and come against the priests”; and Doeg the Edomite turns around, and comes against the priests himself, and in that day puts to death eighty-five men bearing a linen ephod,

19 And he smote Nomba the city of the priest with the edge of the sword, both man, and woman, infant and suckling, and calf, and ox, and sheep.

and Nob, the city of the priests, he has struck by the mouth of the sword, from man and to woman, from infant and to suckling, and ox, and donkey, and sheep, by the mouth of the sword.

20 And one son of Abimelech son of Achitob escapes, and his name [was] Abiathar, and he fled after David.

And one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, escapes, and his name [is] Abiathar, and he flees after David,

21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain all the priests of the Lord.

and Abiathar declares to David that Saul has slain the priests of YHWH.

22 And David said to Abiathar, I knew it in that day, that Doec the Syrian would surely tell Saul: I am guilty of the death of the house of thy father.

And David says to Abiathar, “I have known on that day when Doeg the Edomite [is] there, that he certainly declares [it] to Saul; I have brought [it] around to every person of the house of your father;

23 Dwell with me; fear not, for wherever I shall seek a place [of safety] for my life, I will also seek a place for thy life, for thou art safely guarded [while] with me.

dwell with me; do not fear; for he who seeks my life seeks your life; for you [are my] charge with me.”