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1 Samuel 22
Legacy Standard Bible

David at the Cave of Adullam

22 So David departed from there and (A)escaped to (B)the cave of Adullam; and his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it and went down there to him. 2 Then everyone who was in distress, and everyone who [a]was in debt, and everyone who was bitter of soul, gathered to him; and he became a commander 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 left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the fortress. 5 (D)And the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the fortress; go, and enter into the land of Judah.” So David went and entered into the forest of Hereth.

Saul Puts the Priests at Nob to Death

6 Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now (E)Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. 7 And Saul said to his servants who were standing around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to 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 reveals in my ear (G)when my son cuts a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you (H)who is sorry for me or reveals in my ear that my son has caused my servant to rise up against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day.” 9 Then (I)Doeg the Edomite, who was [b]standing by the servants of Saul, said, “(J)I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to (K)Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 (L)And he asked of Yahweh for him, (M)gave him provisions, and (N)gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king sent someone 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 And Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he [c]answered, “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 asked of God on his behalf, 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, even the king’s son-in-law, who [d]is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house? 15 Did I just begin (Q)to ask of God on his behalf today? Far be it from me! (R)Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing small or great of this whole affair.” 16 But the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!” 17 And (S)the king said to the [e]guards who were standing by him, “Turn around and put the priests of Yahweh to death because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it in my ears.” But the (T)servants of the king were not willing to send forth their hands to fall upon the priests of Yahweh. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and [f]attack the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and [g]attacked the priests, and (U)he put to death that day eighty-five men (V)who wore the linen ephod. 19 So (W)he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, infants and nursing babies; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword.

20 But (X)one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, (Y)escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of Yahweh. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when (Z)Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. It is I who have turned against every person in your father’s household. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for (AA)he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are [h]safe with me.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 22:2 Lit had a creditor
  2. 1 Samuel 22:9 Or set over
  3. 1 Samuel 22:12 Lit said
  4. 1 Samuel 22:14 As in Gr; Heb turns aside to
  5. 1 Samuel 22:17 Lit runners
  6. 1 Samuel 22:18 Lit smite
  7. 1 Samuel 22:18 Lit smote
  8. 1 Samuel 22:23 Lit a charge
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1 Samuel 22
New English Translation

David Goes to Adullam and Mizpah

22 So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s family[a] learned about it, they went down there to him. 2 All those who were in trouble or owed someone money or were discontented[b] gathered around[c] him, and he became their leader. He had about 400 men with him.

3 Then David went from there to Mizpah in Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay[d] with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” 4 So he had them stay with the king of Moab; they stayed with him the whole time[e] that David was in the stronghold. 5 Then Gad the prophet said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

Saul Executes the Priests

6 But Saul found out the whereabouts of David and the men who were with him.[f] Now Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at an elevated location with his spear in hand and all his servants stationed around him. 7 Saul said to his servants, “Listen up, you Benjaminites! Is Jesse’s son giving fields and vineyards to all of you? Or is he making all of you[g] commanders and officers?[h] 8 For all of you have conspired against me! No one informs me[i] when my own son makes an agreement with the son of Jesse. Not one of you feels sorry for me or informs me that my own son has commissioned my own servant to hide in ambush against me, as is the case today!”

9 But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with the servants of Saul, replied, “I saw this son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 He inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king arranged for a meeting with the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all the priests of his father’s house who were at Nob. They all came to the king. 12 Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub.” He replied, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and this son of Jesse? You gave[j] him bread and a sword and inquired of God on his behalf, so that he opposes[k] me and waits in ambush, as is the case today!”

14 Ahimelech replied to the king, “Who among all your servants is faithful like David? He is the king’s son-in-law, the leader of your bodyguard, and honored in your house. 15 Was it just today that I began to inquire of God on his behalf? Far be it from me! The king should not accuse[l] his servant or any of my father’s house, for your servant is not aware of all this—not in whole or in part!”[m]

16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!” 17 Then the king said to the messengers[n] who were stationed beside him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, for they too have sided[o] with David. They knew he was fleeing, but they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants refused to harm[p] the priests of the Lord.

18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. He killed on that day eighty-five[q] men who wore the linen ephod. 19 As for Nob, the city of the priests, Doeg struck down men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep—all with the sword.

20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped and fled to David. His name was Abiathar. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would certainly tell Saul! I am guilty[r] of all the deaths in your father’s house. 23 Stay with me. Don’t be afraid. Whoever[s] seeks my life is seeking your life as well. You are secure with me.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 22:1 tn Heb “house.”
  2. 1 Samuel 22:2 tn Heb “bitter of soul.”
  3. 1 Samuel 22:2 tn Heb “to.”
  4. 1 Samuel 22:3 tn Heb “go forth.”
  5. 1 Samuel 22:4 tn Heb “all the days.”
  6. 1 Samuel 22:6 tn Heb “and Saul heard that David and the men who were with him were known.”
  7. 1 Samuel 22:7 tc The MT has “to all of you.” If this reading is correct, we have here an example of a prepositional phrase functioning as the equivalent of a dative of advantage, which is not impossible from a grammatical point of view. However, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate all have “and.” A conjunction rather than a preposition should probably be read on the front of this phrase.
  8. 1 Samuel 22:7 tn Heb “officers of a thousand and officers of a hundred.”
  9. 1 Samuel 22:8 tn Heb “uncovers my ear.”
  10. 1 Samuel 22:13 tn Heb “by giving.”
  11. 1 Samuel 22:13 tn Heb “rises up against.”
  12. 1 Samuel 22:15 tn Heb “set a matter against.”
  13. 1 Samuel 22:15 tn Heb “small or great.”
  14. 1 Samuel 22:17 tn Heb “runners.”
  15. 1 Samuel 22:17 tn Heb “their hand is.”
  16. 1 Samuel 22:17 tn Heb “to extend their hand to harm.”
  17. 1 Samuel 22:18 tc The number is confused in the Greek ms tradition. The LXX, with the exception of the Lucianic recension, has the number 305. The Lucianic recension, along with a couple of Old Latin mss, has the number 350.
  18. 1 Samuel 22:22 tc The translation follows the LXX, which reads “I am guilty,” rather than the MT, which has “I have turned.”
  19. 1 Samuel 22:23 tn Or “the one who.” This may refer specifically to Saul, in which case David acknowledges that Abiathar’s life is endangered because of his allegiance to David. The translation assumes that the statement is more generalized, meaning that any enemy of Abiathar is an enemy of David. In other words, David promises that he will protect Abiathar with his very own life.
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