< 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.
Therfor Dauid yede fro thennus, and fledde in to the denne of Odollam; and whanne hise britheren, and al the hows of his fadir hadden herd this, thei camen doun thidur to hym.
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 alle men that weren set in angwisch, and oppressid with othere mennus dette, and in bittir soule, camen togidere to hym; and he was maad the prince `of hem, and as foure hundrid men weren with hym.
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 Dauid yede forth fro thennus in to Masphat, which is of Moab; and he seide to the kyng of Moab, Y preye, dwelle my fadir and my modir with you, til Y wite what thing God schal do to 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.
And he lefte hem bifor the face of the kyng of Moab; and thei dwelliden at hym in alle daies, `in whiche Dauid was in `the forselet, ether stronghold.
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.
And Gad, the profete, seide to Dauid, Nyle thou dwelle in `the forselet; go thou forth, and go in to the lond of Juda. And Dauid yede forth, and cam in to the forest of Areth.
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 Saul herde, that Dauid apperide, and the men that weren with hym. Forsothe whanne Saul dwellide in Gabaa, and was in the wode which is in Rama, and `helde a spere in the hond, and alle hise seruauntis stoden aboute hym,
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?
he seide to hise seruauntis that stoden nyy hym, The sones of Gemyny, here me now; whether the sone of Ysai schal yyue to alle you feeldis and vyneris, and schal make alle you tribunes and centuriouns?
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!”
For alle ye han swore, ether conspirid, togidere ayens me, and noon is that tellith to me; moost sithen also my sone hath ioyned boond of pees with the sone of Ysai; noon is of you, that sorewith `for my stide, nether that tellith to me, for my sone hath reisid my seruaunt ayens me, settynge tresoun to me `til to dai.
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.
Sotheli Doech of Ydumye answeride, that stood nyy, and was the firste among `the seruauntis of Saul, and seide, Y siy `the sone of Ysai in Nobe, at Achymelech, preest, the sone of Achitob;
10 Ahimelech asked advice from the Lord for him and gave him food. He gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine as well.”
which counseilide the Lord for Dauid, and yaf meetis `to hym, but also he yaf to Dauid the swerd of Goliath Filistei.
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.
Therfor the kyng sente to clepe Achymelech, the preest, `the sone of Achitob, and al the hows of his fadir, of preestis that weren in Nobe; whiche alle camen to the kyng.
12 “Now you listen, son of Ahitub,” the king shouted. “What is it, my lord?” Ahimelech asked.
And Saul seide to Achymelech, Here, thou sone of Achitob.
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!”
Which answeride, Lord, Y am redi. And Saul seide to hym, Whi hast thou conspirid ayens me, thou, and the sone of Ysai, and yauest looues and a swerd to hym, and councelidist the Lord for hym, that he schulde rise ayens me, and he dwellith a tretour `til to dai?
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.
And Achymelech answeride to the kyng, and seide, And who among alle thi seruauntis is as Dauid feithful, and the sone in lawe `of the kyng, and goynge at thi comaundement, and gloriouse in thin hows?
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.”
Whether Y bigan to dai to counsele the Lord for hym? Fer be this fro me; suppose not the kyng ayens his seruaunt `siche a thing in al `the hows of my fadir; for thi seruaunt knew not ony thing, ether litil ethir greet, of this cause.
16 “You're going to die for this!” the king declared. “You and all your family!”
And the kyng seide, Achymelech, thou schalt die bi deeth, thou, and al the hows of thi fadir.
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 kyng seide to men able to be sent out, that stoden aboute hym, Turne ye, and sle the preestis of the Lord, for the hond of hem is with Dauid; and thei wisten that he fledde, and thei schewiden not to me. Sotheli the seruauntis of the kyng nolden holde forth her hond in to the preestis of the Lord.
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.
And the kyng seide to Doech, Turne thou, and hurle in to the preestis of the Lord. And Doech of Ydumee turnede, and hurlide in to the preestis, and stranglide in that dai foure score and fyue men, clothid with `ephoth of lynnun cloth.
19 Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and slaughtered its men and women, children and infants, cattle, donkeys, and sheep.
Forsothe he smoot Nobe, the citee of preestis, by the scharpnesse of swerd, men and wymmen, litle children and soukynge, and oxe, and asse, and sheep, bi the scharpnesse of swerd.
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.
Forsothe o sone of Achymelech, sone of Achitob, ascapide, of which sone the name was Abiathar; and he fledde to Dauid,
21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.
and telde to hym that Saul hadde slayn the preestis of the Lord.
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.
And Dauid seide to Abiathar, Sotheli Y wiste, `that is, Y coniectide, ether dredde, in that dai, that whanne Doech of Ydumee was there, he wolde telle with out doute to Saul; Y am gilti of alle the lyues of thi fadir.
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.”
Dwelle thou with me, drede thou not; if ony man sekith thi lijf, he schal seke also my lijf, and thou schalt be kept with me.