1 Samuel 22

1 David 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.

David therefore departed thence, and escaped, into the cave of Adullam, —and, when his brethren and all the household of his father heard it, they went down unto him, thither.

2 Everyone 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.

And there gathered themselves unto him—every one that was in distress, and every one that had a creditor, and every one embittered in soul, and he came to be over them as a prince, —and there were with him, about four hundred men.

3 Then 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.”

And David departed thence, to Mizpah of Moab, —and said unto the king of Moab, I pray thee, let my father and my mother dwell with you, until that I know what God will do for me.

4 So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with the king all the time David lived in the stronghold.

So he set them before the king of Moab, —and they dwelt with him, all the days that David was in the fortress.

5 But 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.

Then said Gad the prophet unto David—Thou must not abide in the fortress, go and get thee into the land of Judah. So David departed, and entered the forest of Hereth.

6 Saul 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.

And, when Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him—Saul, being seated in Gibeah under the tamarisk-tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants stationed by him, —

7 Saul 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?

then said Saul unto his servants who were stationed by him—Hear, I pray you, ye Benjamites! What! even to all of you, will the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards? All of you, will he appoint to be princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds?

8 Is 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!”

That ye have conspired, all of you, against me, and there is none to uncover mine ear as to the covenanting of my son with the son of Jesse? And none from among you that taketh pity upon me, and that uncovereth mine ear [to this], —that, mine own son, hath stirred up, my servants, against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

9 Doeg 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.

Then answered Doeg the Edomite—he, being stationed near the servants of Saul—and said, —I saw the son of Jesse coming into Nob, unto Ahimelech son of Ahitub;

10 Ahimelech asked advice from the Lord for him and gave him food. He gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine as well.”

Then enquired he for him of Yahweh, Provisions also, gave he unto him, —and, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, gave he unto him.

11 The 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.

Then the king sent to call Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, the priest, and all the house of his father—the priests, who were in Nob, —and they came, all of them, unto the king.

12 “Now you listen, son of Ahitub,” the king shouted. “What is it, my lord?” Ahimelech asked.

And Saul said, Hear, I pray thee, thou son of Ahitub! And he said—Behold me! my lord.

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!”

And Saul said unto him, Wherefore have ye conspired against me, thou, and the son of Jesse, —in that thou gavest him bread and a sword, and didst enquire for him of God, that he might rise up against me, that he might lie in wait, as at this day?

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.

Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, —But who, among all thy servants, like David, is, faithful, being son-in-law to the king, and, cometh near to have audience with thee, and is, honoured in thy household?

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.”

Did I, that day, begin to enquire for him of God? Far from me! Let not the king impute to his servant such a thing, nor to any of the household of my father, for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.

16 “You're going to die for this!” the king declared. “You and all your family!”

And the king said: Thou shalt, die, Ahimelech, —thou and all the household of thy father.

17 Then 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.

And the king said unto the runners that were stationed by him—Turn ye round and put to death the priests of Yahweh, because, their hand also, is with David, and because they knew that he was, in flight, and unveiled not mine ear. But the servants of the king were not willing to thrust forth their hand, to fall upon the priests of Yahweh.

18 So the king ordered Doeg, “You kill the priests!” Doeg the Edomite attacked and killed the priests, killing eighty-five men wearing the priestly ephod.

Then said the king to Doeg, Turn, thou, and fall upon the priests. So Doeg the Edomite turned, and, himself, fell upon the priests, and put to death, that day, four score and five men bearing an ephod of linen;

19 Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and slaughtered its men and women, children and infants, cattle, donkeys, and sheep.

Nob also, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, —and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, managed to escape. His name was Abiathar, and he ran away and joined David.

But there escaped one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, whose, name, was Abiathar, —and he fled after David.

21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.

So Abiathar told David, —that Saul had slain the priests of Yahweh.

22 David 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.

Then said David to Abiathar—I knew, that day, when Doeg the Edomite was, there, that he would, surely tell, Saul. I, am chargeable with all the lives of the house of thy father.

23 But 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.”

Abide with me! do not fear, for, whoso seeketh my life, seeketh thy life, —for, in safeguard, shall thou be, with me.