1 Samuel 22

David at the Cave of Adullam

1David departed from there and escaped to athe cave of bAdullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 cAnd everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul,
Or discontented
gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him eabout four hundred men.

3And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay
Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew go out
with you, till I know what God will do for me.”
4And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5Then the prophet gGad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Saul Kills the Priests at Nob

6Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under hthe tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse igive every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, 8that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me jwhen my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you kis sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, lto lie in wait, as at this day.” 9Then answered mDoeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse ncoming to Nob, to oAhimelech the son of Ahitub, 10 pand he inquired of the Lord for him and qgave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13And 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 rhave inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, sto lie in wait, as at this day?” 14Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and captain over
Septuagint, Targum; Hebrew  and has turned aside to
your bodyguard, and honored in your house?
15Is today the first time uthat I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, vmuch or little.” 16And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” 17And the king said to wthe guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. 18Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, xand he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; yboth man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.

20But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named zAbiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, aawhen Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 abStay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

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