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1 Samuel 21-22
New International Version
1 Samuel 21-22
New International Version
David at Nob
21 [a]David went to Nob,(A) to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled(B) when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
2 David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”
4 But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread(C) on hand; however, there is some consecrated(D) bread here—provided the men have kept(E) themselves from women.”
5 David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual(F) whenever[b] I set out. The men’s bodies are holy(G) even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” 6 So the priest gave him the consecrated bread,(H) since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.
7 Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg(I) the Edomite,(J) Saul’s chief shepherd.
8 David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”
9 The priest replied, “The sword(K) of Goliath(L) the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah,(M) is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.”
David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
David at Gath
10 That day David fled from Saul and went(N) to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:
“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands’?”(O)
12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13 So he pretended to be insane(P) in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.
14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”
David at Adullam and Mizpah
22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave(Q) of Adullam.(R) When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered(S) around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.
3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” 4 So he left them with the king of Moab,(T) and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.
5 But the prophet Gad(U) said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.(V)
Saul Kills the Priests of Nob
6 Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated,(W) spear in hand, under the tamarisk(X) tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. 7 He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders(Y) of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 Is that why you have all conspired(Z) against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant(AA) with the son of Jesse.(AB) None of you is concerned(AC) about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”
9 But Doeg(AD) the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub(AE) at Nob.(AF) 10 Ahimelek inquired(AG) of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions(AH) and the sword(AI) of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”
“Yes, my lord,” he answered.
13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired(AJ) against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”
14 Ahimelek answered the king, “Who(AK) of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”
16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.(AL)”
17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”
But the king’s officials were unwilling(AM) to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.
18 The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.”(AN) So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.(AO) 19 He also put to the sword(AP) Nob,(AQ) the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.
20 But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub,(AR) named Abiathar,(AS) escaped and fled to join David.(AT) 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg(AU) the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. 23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you(AV) is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-15 is numbered 21:2-16.
- 1 Samuel 21:5 Or from us in the past few days since
1 Samuels 21-22
Det Norsk Bibelselskap 1930
1 Samuels 21-22
Det Norsk Bibelselskap 1930
21 David kom til presten Akimelek i Nob, og Akimelek kom David forferdet i møte og sa til ham: Hvorfor er du alene og har ingen med dig?
2 David svarte presten Akimelek: Kongen har gitt mig et ærend å utføre; han sa til mig: Ingen må få vite noget om det ærend jeg sender dig i, og som jeg har gitt dig å utføre. Og mine menn har jeg satt stevne på det og det sted.
3 Men hvad har du nu ved hånden? La mig få fem brød eller hvad der finnes!
4 Presten svarte David og sa: Jeg har intet almindelig brød ved hånden, men hellig brød er her - bare mennene har holdt sig fra kvinner.
5 David svarte presten og sa til ham: Ja visst, kvinner har vi ikke hatt leilighet til å være sammen med, hverken igår eller iforgårs; da jeg drog ut, var alt det mine menn hadde på sig hellig; og vel er dette en ferd som ikke er hellig, men idag blir den hellig ved det de har på sig.
6 Da gav presten ham hellig brød, for det var ikke annet brød der enn skuebrødene, som var tatt bort fra Herrens åsyn, forat ferskt brød kunde legges isteden samme dag som de blev tatt bort.
7 Men den dag var det en av Sauls tjenere som holdt sig inne der for Herrens åsyn; han hette Doeg og var fra Edom; han var den øverste av Sauls hyrder.
8 David sa til Akimelek: Har du ikke et spyd eller et sverd her ved hånden? For jeg har hverken tatt mitt sverd eller mine andre våben med mig; for det hastet med kongens ærend.
9 Presten svarte: Filisteren Goliats sverd, han som du slo ihjel i Terebinte-dalen, det henger innsvøpt i et klæde bak livkjortelen; vil du ta det til dig, så ta det! Det er ikke noget annet sverd her. David sa: Det finnes ikke maken til det; gi mig det!
10 Så brøt David op og flyktet samme dag for Saul; og han kom til Akis, kongen i Gat.
11 Og Akis' tjener sa til ham: Er ikke dette David, landets konge? Er det ikke ham de sang om under dansen: Saul har slått sine tusener, men David sine titusener?
12 David la sig disse ord på hjerte og var svært redd Akis, kongen i Gat.
13 Derfor lot han for dem som han var vanvittig, og han raste mellem hendene på dem og risset på dørene i porten og lot sitt spytt flyte ned i skjegget.
14 Da sa Akis til sine tjenere: I ser jo det er en gal mann; hvorfor kommer I til mig med ham?
15 Har jeg ikke nok av gale folk siden I er kommet hit med ham der, så han skal plage mig med sin galskap? Skulde slik en få komme i mitt hus?
22 Så drog David bort derfra og flyktet til hulen ved Adullam; og da hans brødre og hele hans fars hus fikk høre det, drog de der ned til ham.
2 Og alle som var i nød, eller som var trykket av gjeld, eller som var misfornøide, samlet sig om ham, og han blev deres høvding; det var omkring fire hundre mann som var med ham.
3 Derfra drog David til Mispe i Moab; og han sa til Moabs konge: La min far og min mor få komme hit og bli hos eder til jeg får se hvad Gud vil gjøre med mig!
4 Og han førte dem frem for Moabs konge; og de blev hos ham hele den tid David var i fjellborgen.
5 Men profeten Gad sa til David: Du skal ikke bli i fjellborgen; ta herfra og dra til Juda land! Da drog David bort og kom til Haret-skogen.
6 Saul fikk høre at David og de menn som var med ham, var blitt kjent, og en dag Saul satt i Gibea under tamarisken på haugen med sitt spyd i hånden, og alle hans tjenere stod omkring ham,
7 sa han til sine tjenere, de som stod omkring ham: Hør nu, i benjaminitter! Vil da Isais sønn og gi eder alle sammen akrer og vingårder og sette eder alle til høvedsmenn over tusen og over hundre?
8 For I har jo alle sammensvoret eder mot mig, og ingen åpenbarte det for mig dengang min sønn gjorde pakt med Isais sønn, og ingen av eder er bekymret for mig og åpenbarer noget for mig; for min sønn har opegget mine tjenere til å efterstrebe mig, således som han nu gjør.
9 Da svarte Doeg, edomitten, som var satt over Sauls tjenere, og sa: Jeg så Isais sønn kom til Akimelek, Akitubs sønn, i Nob.
10 Og Akimelek adspurte Herren for ham og gav ham reisekost og lot ham få filisteren Goliats sverd.
11 Da sendte kongen bud efter presten Akimelek, Akitubs sønn, og hele hans fars hus, prestene i Nob; og de kom alle sammen til kongen.
12 Og Saul sa: Hør nu, Akitubs sønn! Han svarte: Ja, her er jeg, herre!
13 Da sa Saul til ham: Hvorfor har I sammensvoret eder mot mig, du og Isais sønn? Hvorfor gav du ham brød og sverd og adspurte Gud for ham, så han skulde sette sig op imot mig og efterstrebe mig, som han nu gjør?
14 Da svarte Akimelek kongen og sa: Hvem blandt alle dine tjenere er vel så betrodd som David, han som er kongens svigersønn og har fortrolig adgang til dig og er høit æret i ditt hus?
15 Den dag var det da ikke første gang jeg adspurte Gud for ham. Det være langt fra mig å gjøre sådant! Kongen må ikke legge sin tjener eller hele min fars hus noget til last! For din tjener har ikke visst det minste grand om alt dette.
16 Men kongen sa: Du skal dø, Akimelek, du og hele din fars hus.
17 Og kongen sa til drabantene som stod omkring ham: Gå frem og drep Herrens prester! For de har og hjulpet David; de visste at han var på flukt, men åpenbarte det ikke for mig. Men kongens tjenere vilde ikke rekke ut sin hånd for å hugge ned Herrens prester.
18 Da sa kongen til Doeg: Gå du frem og hugg ned prestene! Og Doeg, edomitten, gikk frem og hugg ned prestene og han drepte den dag fem og åtti menn som bar lerretslivkjortler.
19 Og prestebyen Nob slo han med sverdets egg; både mann og kvinne, både barn og diebarn, både okse og asen og får slo han med sverdets egg.
20 Bare en sønn av Akimelek, Akitubs sønn, slapp bort; hans navn var Abjatar. Han flyktet til David og fulgte ham.
21 Og Abjatar fortalte David at Saul hadde drept Herrens prester.
22 Da sa David til Abjatar: Jeg visste allerede den dag at Doeg, edomitten, var der, og at han visselig vilde si det til Saul; jeg bærer skylden for alle de liv som er drept i din fars hus.
23 Bli hos mig og vær ikke redd! Den som står mig efter livet, står også dig efter livet; hos mig er du i sikkerhet.
1 Samuel 21-22
Legacy Standard Bible
1 Samuel 21-22
Legacy Standard Bible
David Takes Consecrated Bread
21 Then David came to (A)Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech (B)came trembling to meet David and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me with a matter and has said to me, ‘(C)Let no one know anything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commanded you; and I have directed the young men to a certain place.’ 3 So now, what [a]do you have on hand? Give five loaves of bread into my hand, or whatever can be found.” 4 And the priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread [b]on hand, but there is (D)consecrated bread; if only the young men have (E)kept themselves from women.” 5 And David answered the priest and said to him, “(F)Surely women have been kept from us as previously when I set out and the (G)vessels of the young men were holy, though it was an ordinary journey; how much more then today will [c]their vessels be holy?” 6 So (H)the priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there but the (I)bread of the Presence which was removed from before Yahweh, in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away.
7 Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and his name was (J)Doeg the Edomite, the (K)chief of Saul’s shepherds.
8 And David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword [d]on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons in my hand because the king’s matter was urgent.” 9 Then the priest said, “(L)The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down (M)in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
David Flees to Gath
10 Then David arose and fled that day from Saul and went to (N)Achish king of Gath. 11 But the (O)servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? (P)Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,
‘Saul has struck his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”
12 And David (Q)took these words [e]to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath. 13 So he (R)disguised his sanity in their sight and acted insanely in their hands and scribbled on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down into his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman before me? Shall this one come into my house?”
David at the Cave of Adullam
22 So David departed from there and (S)escaped to (T)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 [f]was in debt, and everyone who was bitter of soul, gathered to him; and he became a commander over them. Now there were (U)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 (V)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 (W)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? (X)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 (Y)when my son cuts a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you (Z)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 (AA)Doeg the Edomite, who was [g]standing by the servants of Saul, said, “(AB)I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to (AC)Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 (AD)And he asked of Yahweh for him, (AE)gave him provisions, and (AF)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 [h]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 (AG)by lying in ambush as it is this day?”
14 (AH)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 [i]is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house? 15 Did I just begin (AI)to ask of God on his behalf today? Far be it from me! (AJ)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 (AK)the king said to the [j]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 (AL)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 [k]attack the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and [l]attacked the priests, and (AM)he put to death that day eighty-five men (AN)who wore the linen ephod. 19 So (AO)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 (AP)one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, (AQ)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 (AR)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 (AS)he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are [m]safe with me.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 21:3 Lit is under your hand?
- 1 Samuel 21:4 Lit under my hand
- 1 Samuel 21:5 Lit it be holy in the vessel
- 1 Samuel 21:8 Lit under your hand
- 1 Samuel 21:12 Lit in his
- 1 Samuel 22:2 Lit had a creditor
- 1 Samuel 22:9 Or set over
- 1 Samuel 22:12 Lit said
- 1 Samuel 22:14 As in Gr; Heb turns aside to
- 1 Samuel 22:17 Lit runners
- 1 Samuel 22:18 Lit smite
- 1 Samuel 22:18 Lit smote
- 1 Samuel 22:23 Lit a charge
1 Samuel 21-22
King James Version
1 Samuel 21-22
King James Version
21 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
10 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
22 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that 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 hold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
6 When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that 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 that 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 that sheweth 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 sheweth 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, which 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 enquired 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 that 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 enquired 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, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
15 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing 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 that 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 shew 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 that did wear 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 shewed 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 safeguard.
1 Samuel 21-22
Revised Standard Version
1 Samuel 21-22
Revised Standard Version
David and the Holy Bread
21 [a] Then came David to Nob to Ahim′elech the priest; and Ahim′elech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahim′elech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter, and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what have you at hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 4 And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread at hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 And David answered the priest, “Of a truth women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition; the vessels of the young men are holy, even when it is a common journey; how much more today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; his name was Do′eg the E′domite, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen.
8 And David said to Ahim′elech, “And have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.”
David Flees to Gath
10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul, and went to A′chish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of A′chish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,
‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
12 And David took these words to heart, and was much afraid of A′chish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and made marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then said A′chish to his servants, “Lo, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
David and His Followers at Adullam
22 David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And every one who was in distress, and every one who was in debt, and every one who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Pray let my father and my mother stay[b] with you, till I know what God will do for me.” 4 And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5 Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed, and went into the forest of Hereth.
Saul Slaughters the Priests at Nob
6 Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gib′e-ah, under the tamarisk tree on the height, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7 And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjaminites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, 8 that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a league with the son of Jesse, none of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.” 9 Then answered Do′eg the E′domite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahim′elech the son of Ahi′tub, 10 and he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 Then the king sent to summon Ahim′elech the priest, the son of Ahi′tub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob; and all of them came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahi′tub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 And 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, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?” 14 Then Ahim′elech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and captain over[c] your bodyguard, and honored in your house? 15 Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father; for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahim′elech, you and all your father’s house.” 17 And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord. 18 Then the king said to Do′eg, “You turn and fall upon the priests.” And Do′eg the E′domite turned and fell upon the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both men and women, children and sucklings, oxen, asses and sheep, he put to the sword.
20 But one of the sons of Ahim′elech the son of Ahi′tub, named Abi′athar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abi′athar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 And David said to Abi′athar, “I knew on that day, when Do′eg the E′domite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me, fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks your life; with me you shall be in safekeeping.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 21:1 Ch 21.2 in Heb
- 1 Samuel 22:3 Syr Vg: Heb come out
- 1 Samuel 22:14 Gk Tg: Heb and has turned aside to
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