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

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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?"

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 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 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 He inquired of God for him, gave him food, 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 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 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 Saul said, "Hear now, you son of Ahitub." He answered, "Here I am, my lord."

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

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 The king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

And there escapeth one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, and his name [is] Abiathar, and he fleeth after David,

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

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

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 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 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 he who seeketh my life seeketh thy life; for a charge [art] thou with me.'