1 Samuel 22

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

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

2 Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented—they all gathered to him. David became captain over them. There were about four hundred men with him.

And every man who was in distress, and every man who was in debt, and every man who was discontented, gathered themselves to him, and he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

3 Then David went from there to Mizpah in Moab. He said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother go out with you until I know what God will do for me.”

And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.

4 He left them with the king of Moab. His father and mother stayed with him the whole time that David was in his stronghold.

And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.

5 Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in your stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah.” So David left there and went into the forest of Hereth.

And the prophet Gad said to David, Abide not in the stronghold. Depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.

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

And Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree in Ramah with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.

7 Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Listen now, people of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,

And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites. Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,

8 in exchange for all of you plotting against me? None of you informs me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me. None of you informs me that my son has incited my servant David against me. Today he hides and waits for me so he may attack me.”

that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who discloses to me when my son makes a league 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.

9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, answered, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub.

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

10 He prayed to Yahweh that he might help him, and he gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

And he inquired of Jehovah for him, and gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

11 Then the king sent someone to summon the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all his father's house, the priests who were in Nob. All of them came to the king.

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

12 Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my master.”

And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

13 Saul said to him, “Why have you plotted against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have prayed to God that he might help him, so that he might rise up against me, to hide in secret, as he does today?”

And Saul said to him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou 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?

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 is over your bodyguard, and is honored in your house?

Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who among all thy servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and is taken into thy council, and is honorable in thy house?

15 Is today the first time I have prayed to God to help him? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father. For your servant knows nothing of this whole matter.”

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

16 The king replied, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house.”

And the king said, Thou shall surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

17 The king said to the guard that stood around him, “Turn and kill the priests of Yahweh. Because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, but did not reveal it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to kill the priests of Yahweh.

And the king said to the guard who stood about him, Turn, and kill the priests of Jehovah, 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 would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of Jehovah.

18 Then the king said to Doeg, “Turn and kill the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests; he killed eighty-five persons who wore a linen ephod that day.

And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore a linen ephod.

19 He also put to the sword Nob, the city of the priests; both men and women, children and infants, and oxen and donkeys and sheep he put to the sword.

And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, sons and sucklings, and oxen and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

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

And one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed Yahweh's priests.

And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Jehovah's priests.

22 David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for every death in your father's family!

And David said to Abiathar, I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house.

23 Stay with me and do not be afraid. For the one who seeks your life seeks mine as well. You will be safe with me.”

Abide thou with me. Fear not, for he who seeks my life seeks thy life, for with me thou shall be in safeguard.