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 Samuel 22:1 tn Heb “house.”
- 1 Samuel 22:2 tn Heb “bitter of soul.”
- 1 Samuel 22:2 tn Heb “to.”
- 1 Samuel 22:3 tn Heb “go forth.”
- 1 Samuel 22:4 tn Heb “all the days.”
- 1 Samuel 22:6 tn Heb “and Saul heard that David and the men who were with him were known.”
- 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.
- 1 Samuel 22:7 tn Heb “officers of a thousand and officers of a hundred.”
- 1 Samuel 22:8 tn Heb “uncovers my ear.”
- 1 Samuel 22:13 tn Heb “by giving.”
- 1 Samuel 22:13 tn Heb “rises up against.”
- 1 Samuel 22:15 tn Heb “set a matter against.”
- 1 Samuel 22:15 tn Heb “small or great.”
- 1 Samuel 22:17 tn Heb “runners.”
- 1 Samuel 22:17 tn Heb “their hand is.”
- 1 Samuel 22:17 tn Heb “to extend their hand to harm.”
- 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.
- 1 Samuel 22:22 tc The translation follows the LXX, which reads “I am guilty,” rather than the MT, which has “I have turned.”
- 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.
1 Samuel 22
International Children’s Bible
David at Adullam and Mizpah
22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. His brothers and other relatives heard that he was there. And they went to see him. 2 Many people joined David. All those who were in trouble, who owed money or who were unsatisfied gathered around him. And he became their leader. He had about 400 men with him.
3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab. He spoke to the king of Moab. He said, “Please let my father and mother come and stay with you. Let them stay until I learn what God is going to do for me.” 4 So he left them with the king of Moab. And they stayed with the king as long as David was hiding in the protected place.
5 But the prophet Gad said to David, “Don’t stay in the protected place. Go to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
Saul Destroys Ahimelech’s Family
6 Saul heard that David and his men had been seen. He sat under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah. All his officers were standing around him. He had a spear in his hand. 7 Saul said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Do you think the son of Jesse will give all of you fields and vineyards? Will David make you commanders over thousands of men or hundreds of men? 8 You have all made plans against me! No one tells me when my son makes an agreement with the son of Jesse! No one cares about me! No one tells me my son has encouraged my servant to ambush me! And David is doing this now!”
9 Doeg the Edomite was standing there with Saul’s officers. He said, “I saw the son of Jesse. He came to see Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 Ahimelech prayed to the Lord for David. He also gave him food. And he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub. He sent for all of Ahimelech’s relatives who were priests at Nob. And they all came to the king. 12 Saul said to Ahimelech, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”
Ahimelech answered, “Yes, master.”
13 Saul said, “Why have you and Jesse’s son made plans against me? You gave him bread and a sword! You prayed to God for him. David is waiting to attack me. He is doing this now!”
14 Ahimelech answered, “David is very loyal to you. You have no other servant who is as loyal as David. He is your own son-in-law and captain of your bodyguards. All the people in your house respect him. 15 That was not the first time I prayed to God for David. Not at all! Don’t blame me or any of my relatives. We are your servants. I know nothing about what is going on.”
16 But the king said, “Ahimelech, you and all your relatives must die!” 17 Then he told the guards at his side, “Go and kill the priests of the Lord. Do this because they are on David’s side. They knew he was running away, but they didn’t tell me!”
But the king’s officers refused to hurt the priests of the Lord.
18 Then the king ordered Doeg, “Go and kill the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite went and killed the priests. That day he killed 85 men who wore the linen holy vest. 19 He also killed the people of Nob, the city of the priests. With the sword he killed men, women, children and small babies. And he killed cattle, donkeys and sheep.
20 But Abiathar escaped. He was a son of Ahimelech, who was the son of Ahitub. Abiathar ran away and joined David. 21 He told David that Saul had killed the Lord’s priests. 22 Then David told him, “Doeg the Edomite was there at Nob that day. I knew he would surely tell Saul. So I am responsible for the death of all your father’s family. 23 The man who wants to kill you also wants to kill me. Stay with me. Don’t be afraid. You will be safe with me.”
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
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.