1 Samuel 22:1-5

Common English Bible

David gathers support

22 David left Gath and escaped to Adullam’s fortress.^[a] When David’s siblings and all his extended family learned of this, they went to join him there. ² Everyone who was in trouble, in debt, or in desperate circumstances gathered around David, and he became their leader. Approximately four hundred men joined him.

³ From there David went to Mizpeh in Moab. He said to the Moabite king, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do to me.” ⁴ So David left his parents with the Moabite king, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the fortress.

⁵ Then the prophet Gad told David, “Don’t stay in the fortress any longer. Leave now and go to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to Hereth forest.