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1 Samuel 22
New American Standard Bible

Priests Killed at Nob

22 So David departed from there and (A)escaped to (B)the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard about it, they went down there to him. 2 Then everyone who was in distress, and everyone who [a]was in debt, and everyone who was [b]discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were (C)about four hundred men with him.

3 And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” 4 Then he [c]left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5 But (D)Gad the prophet said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; leave, and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went into the forest of Hereth.

6 Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now (E)Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing in front of him. 7 Saul said to his servants who were standing in front of him, “Hear now, you Benjaminites! Will the son of Jesse really give all of you fields and vineyards? (F)Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who [d]informs me (G)when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you (H)who cares about me or [e]informs me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day.” 9 Then (I)Doeg the Edomite, who was [f]standing in front of the servants of Saul, responded and said, “(J)I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to (K)Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 And (L)he inquired of the Lord for him, (M)gave him provisions, and (N)gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king sent a messenger to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household, the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he [g]replied, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 Saul then said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me (O)by lying in ambush as it is this day?”

14 (P)Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s own son-in-law, who [h]is commander over your bodyguard, and is honored in your house? 15 Did I just begin (Q)to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! (R)Do not let the king impute anything against his servant or against any of the household of my father, because your servant knows nothing [i]at all of this whole affair.” 16 But the king said, “You shall certainly die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!” 17 And (S)the king said to the [j]guards who were attending him, “Turn around and put the priests of the Lord to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not [k]inform me.” But the (T)servants of the king were unwilling to reach out with their hands to [l]attack the priests of the Lord. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You, turn around and [m]attack the priests!” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and [n]attacked the priests, and (U)he killed on that day eighty-five men (V)who wore the linen ephod. 19 (W)He also struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; he also struck oxen, donkeys, and sheep with the edge of the sword.

20 But (X)one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, (Y)escaped and fled [o]to David. 21 Abiathar informed David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when (Z)Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would certainly tell Saul. I myself [p]have turned against every person in your father’s household. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, [q]even though (AA)he who is seeking my life is seeking your life. For you are safe with me.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 22:2 Lit had a creditor
  2. 1 Samuel 22:2 Lit bitter of soul
  3. 1 Samuel 22:4 Probable reading of the Heb; MT brought them before
  4. 1 Samuel 22:8 Lit uncovers my ear
  5. 1 Samuel 22:8 Lit uncovers my ear
  6. 1 Samuel 22:9 Or set over
  7. 1 Samuel 22:12 Lit said
  8. 1 Samuel 22:14 As in LXX; MT turns aside to
  9. 1 Samuel 22:15 Lit small or great
  10. 1 Samuel 22:17 Lit runners
  11. 1 Samuel 22:17 Lit uncover my ear
  12. 1 Samuel 22:17 Lit fall upon
  13. 1 Samuel 22:18 Lit fall upon
  14. 1 Samuel 22:18 Lit fell upon
  15. 1 Samuel 22:20 Lit after
  16. 1 Samuel 22:22 LXX am responsible for
  17. 1 Samuel 22:23 Or because he
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1 Samuel 22
New Living Translation

David at the Cave of Adullam

22 So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. 2 Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men.

3 Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” 4 So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.

5 One day the prophet Gad told David, “Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah.” So David went to the forest of Hereth.

6 The news of his arrival in Judah soon reached Saul. At the time, the king was sitting beneath the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, holding his spear and surrounded by his officers.

7 “Listen here, you men of Benjamin!” Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news. “Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army?[a] 8 Is that why you have conspired against me? For not one of you told me when my own son made a solemn pact with the son of Jesse. You’re not even sorry for me. Think of it! My own son—encouraging him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day!”

9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul’s men, spoke up. “When I was at Nob,” he said, “I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub. 10 Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

The Slaughter of the Priests

11 King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served as priests at Nob. 12 When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, “Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!”

“What is it, my king?” Ahimelech asked.

13 “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?” Saul demanded. “Why did you give him food and a sword? Why have you consulted God for him? Why have you encouraged him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day?”

14 “But sir,” Ahimelech replied, “is anyone among all your servants as faithful as David, your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your household! 15 This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you.”

16 “You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” the king shouted. 17 And he ordered his bodyguards, “Kill these priests of the Lord, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!” But Saul’s men refused to kill the Lord’s priests.

18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.” So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments. 19 Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.

20 Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David. 21 When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord, 22 David exclaimed, “I knew it! When I saw Doeg the Edomite there that day, I knew he was sure to tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all your father’s family. 23 Stay here with me, and don’t be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both.”

Footnotes

  1. 22:7 Hebrew commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
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1 Samuel 21
1 Samuel 23
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