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 goeth thence, and is escaped unto the cave of Adullam, and his brethren hear, and all the house of his father, and go down unto him thither;

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 gather themselves unto him do every man in distress, and every man who hath an exactor, and every man bitter in soul, and he is over them for head, and there are with him about four hundred men.

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

And David goeth thence to Mizpeh of Moab, and saith unto the king of Moab, 'Let, I pray thee, my father and my mother go out with you, till that I know what God doth for me;'

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

and he leadeth 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 you shall enter the land of Juda. So David went, and came and lived in the city of Saric.

And Gad the prophet saith unto David, 'Thou dost not abide in a fortress, go, and thou hast entered for thee the land of Judah;' and David goeth and entereth the forest of Hareth.

6 And Saul heard that David was discovered, and his men with him: now Saul lived 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 heareth that David hath 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 standing by him.

7 And Saul said to his servants that stood by him, Hear now, you 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 saith to his servants who are standing by him, 'Hear, I pray you, ye Benjamites; also to all of you doth the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards! all of you he doth appoint heads of thousands and heads of hundreds!

8 That you 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 ye have conspired all of you against me, and there is none uncovering mine ear about my son's covenanting with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you grieving for me, and uncovering mine ear, that my son hath 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 answer doth Doeg the Edomite, who is set over the servants of Saul, and saith, 'I have seen the son of Jesse coming in to Nob, unto 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 asketh for him at Jehovah, and provision hath given to him, and the sword of Goliath the Philistine hath given 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 sendeth to call Ahimelech son of Ahitub, the priest, and all the house of his father, the priests, who [are] in Nob, and they come all of them unto the king;

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

and Saul saith, 'Hear, I pray thee, son of Ahitub;' and he saith, 'Here [am] I, my lord.'

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

And Saul saith unto him, 'Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, by thy giving to him bread and a sword, and to ask for him at God, 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 your servants faithful as David, and [he is] a son-in-law of the king, and [he is] executor of all your commands, and [is] honorable in your house?

And Ahimelech answereth the king and saith, 'And who among all thy servants [is] as David — faithful, and son-in-law of the king, and hath turned aside unto thy council, and is honoured in thy house?

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

To-day have I begun to ask for him at God? far be it from me! let not the king lay anything against his servant, against any of the house of my father, for thy servant hath known nothing of all this, less or more.'

16 And king Saul said, You shall surely die, Abimelech, you, and all your father's house.

And the king saith, 'Thou dost surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all the house of thy father.'

17 And the king said to the footmen that attended on him, Draw near and kill 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 saith to runners, those standing by him, 'Turn round, and put to death the priests of Jehovah, because their hand also [is] with David, and because they have known that he is fleeing, and have not uncovered mine ear;' and the servants of the king have not been willing to put forth their hand to come against the priests of Jehovah.

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

And the king saith to Doeg, 'Turn round thou, and come against the priests;' and Doeg the Edomite turneth round, and cometh himself against the priests, and putteth to death in that day eighty and five men bearing a linen ephod,

19 And he struck 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 hath smitten by the mouth of the sword, from man even unto woman, from infant even unto suckling, and ox, and ass, 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 there escapeth one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, and his name [is] Abiathar, and he fleeth after David,

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

and Abiathar declareth to David that Saul hath slain the priests of Jehovah.

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 your father.

And David saith to Abiathar, 'I have known on that day when Doeg the Edomite [is] there, that he doth certainly declare [it] to Saul; I have brought [it] round to every person of the house of thy 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 your life, for you are safely guarded [while] with me.

dwell with me; fear not; for he who seeketh my life seeketh thy life; for a charge [art] thou with me.'