1 Samuel 22

1 David therefore departed there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.

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.

2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

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.

3 David went there to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother stay with you, until I know what God will do for me."

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.

4 He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.

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

5 The prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart, and go into the land of Judah." Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.

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.

6 Saul heard that David had been discovered, and the men who were with him. Now Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree at the high place, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.

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.

7 And he said to them, "Hear now, you Benjamites. Will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,

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?

8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"

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?

9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, answered and said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

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.

10 He inquired of God for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

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

11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.

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.

12 Saul said, "Hear now, you son of Ahitub." He answered, "Here I am, my lord."

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

13 Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"

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?

14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, "Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and a commander over your bodyguard, and honored in your house?

And he answered the king, and said, And who [is] there amongst 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] honourable in your house?

15 Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me. Do not let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, less or more."

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.

16 The king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father's house."

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

17 The king said to the guard who stood about him, "Turn, and kill the priests of YHWH; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me." But the servants of the king wouldn't put forth their hand to fall on the priests of YHWH.

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.

18 The king said to Doeg, "Turn and attack the priests." Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod.

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.

19 He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing babies, and cattle and donkeys and sheep.

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.

20 One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

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

21 Abiathar told David that Saul had slain YHWH's priests.

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

22 Then David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day that Doeg the Edomite would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for all the lives of your father's house.

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.

23 Stay with me, do not be afraid; for he who seeks my life seeks your life. For with me you shall be in safeguard."

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.