1 Samuel 22

1 David [and his men] left Gath and went [east] to hide in a cave on a hill at Adullam [city]. Soon his [older] brothers and all his other relatives came and stayed with him there.

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.

2 Then other men came there. Some were men who had caused trouble, some were men who owed money, and some were men who were not content [IDM] [with the government]. They continued to come until there were 400 men there, and David was their leader.

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.

3 Later they left there and went [east] to Mizpah [city] in the Moab region. There David requested the king of Moab, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.”

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.”

4 [The king gave him permission, ] so David’s parents stayed with the king of Moab all the time that David and the men who were with him were hiding [in that area].

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

5 One day the prophet Gad told David, “Leave (your fortress/this area) and return to Judah.” So David and his men went to Hereth forest [in Judah].

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.

6 One day, someone told Saul that David and his men had arrived in Judah. On that day, Saul was sitting underneath the tamarisk tree on a hill at Gibeah [town]. He was holding his spear, and was surrounded by his army officers.

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.

7 He shouted to them, “You men of the tribe of Benjamin, listen to me! Do you think that the son of Jesse will give all of you fields and vineyards [if he becomes your king]? Will he appoint all of you to become generals and captains [in his army] [RHQ]?

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,

8 Is that why you have all conspired against me [RHQ]? None of you told me when my son [Jonathan] made a solemn agreement with that son of Jesse. None of you feels sorry for me. That son of Jesse was my servant, but now my son is encouraging him to hide in order to (ambush me/attack me suddenly), as he is doing today!”

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.”

9 Doeg, a man from the Edom people-group, was standing there with Saul’s officers. He said to Saul, “When I was at Nob, I saw that son of Jesse talking to Ahimelech, the priest.

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.

10 Ahimelech asked Yahweh what David should do. Then Ahimelech gave to David some food and the sword of Goliath, [the giant] from the Philistia people-group.”

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

11 Then Saul summoned Ahimelech and all Ahimelech’s relatives who were priests at Nob. So they all came to the king.

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.

12 Saul said to Ahimelech, “You son of Ahitub, listen to me!” Ahimelech answered, “Yes, sir!”

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

13 Saul said, “Why are you and Jesse’s son conspiring to get rid of me? You gave him some bread and a sword. You requested God to tell David what he should do. David has rebelled against me, and right now he is [hiding somewhere], waiting [to attack me].”

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?”

14 Ahimelech replied, “[I do not understand why you are saying that, because] David, your son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguards, is very loyal to you. No one is more loyal to you than David! Everyone in your household respects him very much.

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?

15 Furthermore, this was certainly not [RHQ] the first time that I requested God to say what he wanted David to do. And it is not right for you to accuse me or any of my relatives [of trying to get rid of you], because I do not know anything about [anyone wanting to do that].”

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.”

16 The king then shouted, “Ahimelech, you and your all your relatives are going to be executed right now!”

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

17 Then he commanded his bodyguards, “Kill these priests of Yahweh, because they are allies of David, and they are conspiring with David against me! They knew that David was trying to run away from me, but they did not tell me!” But Saul’s bodyguards refused to kill Yahweh’s priests.

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.

18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You kill them!” So Doeg, the man from the Edom people-group, went out and struck them with his sword. On that day he killed eighty-five men who were wearing the sacred vests [because they were God’s priests].

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.

19 He also went and killed many people in Nob, the city where the priests lived. He killed men, women, children, babies, cattle, donkeys, and sheep there.

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.

20 But Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, escaped. He ran away and joined David [and the men who were with him].

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

21 He told David that Saul had commanded [Doeg] to kill Yahweh’s priests.

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

22 Then David said to him, “That man from the Edom people-group, Doeg, was there at Nob on the day [that I was there]. I knew that he would surely tell Saul [what happened]. So it is my fault that your father and all of his family have been killed.

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!

23 You stay with me, and do not be afraid. The man who wants to kill you wants to kill me also, but you will be safe if you stay with me.”

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.”