1 Samuel 22
New King James Version
David’s Four Hundred Men(A)
22 David therefore departed from there and (B)escaped (C)to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 (D)And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was [a]discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about (E)four hundred men with him.
3 Then David went from there to Mizpah of (F)Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.” 4 So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.
5 Now the prophet (G)Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.
Saul Murders the Priests
6 When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered—now Saul was staying in (H)Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him— 7 then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse (I)give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? 8 All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that (J)my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”
9 Then answered (K)Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to (L)Ahimelech the son of (M)Ahitub. 10 (N)And he inquired of the Lord for him, (O)gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 So 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 all came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!”
He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13 Then 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 have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”
14 So Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as (P)faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house? 15 Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.”
16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all (Q)your father’s house!” 17 Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king (R)would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord. 18 And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and [b]struck the priests, and (S)killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod. 19 (T)Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.
20 (U)Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, (V)escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the Lord’s priests. 22 So David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s [c]house. 23 Stay with me; do not fear. (W)For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 22:2 Lit. bitter of soul
- 1 Samuel 22:18 attacked
- 1 Samuel 22:22 family
1 Samuel 22
21st Century King James Version
22 David therefore departed thence and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
2 And every one who was in distress, and every one who was in debt, and every one who was discontented, gathered themselves unto him. And he became a captain over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said unto 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 And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto 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 When Saul heard that David was discovered and the men who were with him (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him),
7 then Saul said unto his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, ye Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,
8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse; and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as at this day?”
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 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 all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said, “Hear now, thou son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13 And Saul said unto him, “Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread and a sword and hast 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, “And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in thine house?
15 Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me. Let not the king impute anything unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.”
16 And the king said, “Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou and all thy father’s house.”
17 And the king said unto the footmen who stood about him, “Turn and slay the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not show it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.
18 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 slew on that day fourscore and five persons who wore a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the Lord’S priests.
22 And David said unto Abiathar, “I knew it 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 Abide thou with me; fear not. For he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life, but with me thou shalt be in safekeeping.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.