Beginning
Chapter 21
The Priest and the Holy Band. 1 David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech was afraid when he encountered David and he said to him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” 2 David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king sent me on some business, and he said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about this task on which I am sending you or what I commanded you to do.’ I have sent my young men to such and such a place. 3 Now, therefore, what do you have at hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever can be found.”
4 The priest answered David saying, “I do not have any regular bread at hand, but there is consecrated bread, if the young men have abstained from being with women.” 5 David answered the priest saying, “We have assuredly abstained from being with women these three days since I set out. The young men’s gear is consecrated even on missions that are not consecrated. How much more is their gear consecrated today.”
6 So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, because there was no other bread than the shewbread. The shewbread had been removed from before the Lord and taken away when it was replaced by the hot bread.[a]
7 One of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg, the Edomite, and he was Saul’s chief shepherd.
Goliath’s Sword. 8 David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or a sword at hand? I did not bring either my sword nor any other weapon because the king’s mission had to be done in haste.” 9 The priest answered, “The sword of Goliath, the Philistine whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here. It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod.[b] If you want it, take it, because it is the only one here.” David said, “There is none like it, give it to me.”
10 That day David rose up and fled because he was afraid of Saul. He went to Achish, the king of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Is he not the one they sing about as they dance, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, David has killed his ten thousands.’ ”
12 David Pretends Insanity. David took these words to heart, and he was terrified of Achish, the king of Gath. 13 He pretended to be out of his mind in front of them. While he was on his hands he would pound on the doors to the gate, and he would drool down his beard. 14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is out of his mind! Why did you bring him to me? 15 Am I so in need of people who are out of their mind that you brought me this man who is acting so strange? Must this man come into my house?”
Chapter 22
David Flees. 1 David left and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all of his father’s household heard, they went down to him there. 2 Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. He had about four hundred men with him.[c]
3 From there, David traveled to Mizpah in Moab. He said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you until I know what God will do with me.” 4 He brought them to the king of Moab, and they lived with him the whole time that David was in the stronghold.
5 But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold.[d] Leave, and go to the land of Judah.” David left and went into the forest of Hareth.
Doeg Betrays Ahimelech. 6 Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. Saul, holding a spear in his hand, was sitting in Gibeah under the tree of Ramah, and all of his servants were standing around him. 7 Saul said to his servants who were standing around him, “Hear now, you Benjaminites. Will each of you give fields and vineyards to the son of Jesse? Will you all be officers of thousands and officers of hundreds? 8 Is that why all of you have conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me today.”
9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s servants, said, “I saw the son of Jesse go to Nob, to Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub. 10 Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him, and he gave him provisions, and he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 Saul Slays the Priests. The king summoned Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, the priest, as well as all of his father’s family in Nob who were also priests. All of them came to the king. 12 He said, “Listen now, O son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired with the son of Jesse against me? You gave him bread and a sword. You inquired of God whether he should lie in wait for me today.”
14 Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all of your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, who goes about at your bidding, and who is respected in your house? 15 Was that the first time I inquired of the Lord for him? No! Let the king not accuse your servant or any of my father’s family, for your servant knows absolutely nothing about any of this.”
16 The king said, “You must die, Ahimelech, you and all of your father’s family.” 17 The king said to the guards who were standing around him, “Turn around and kill the priests of the Lord, for they are in league with David. They knew about his fleeing, and they did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not stretch out their hands to fall upon the priests of the Lord.
18 So the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and fall upon the priests.” Doeg the Edomite turned around, and he fell upon the priests, killing eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod that day. 19 He put Nob, the city of the priests, to the sword: men, women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.
20 Abiathar Escapes. Now one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, escaped. He was named Abiathar, and he fled to David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the Lord’s priests. 22 David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when I saw that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of everyone in your father’s family. 23 Stay with me, and do not be afraid. The same man who seeks my life seeks your life as well, but you will be safe with me.”[e]
Chapter 23
David Rescues Keilah. 1 Some people then spoke to David saying, “Look, the Philistines are attacking Keilah and they are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 David inquired of the Lord saying, “Shall I go to attack these Philistines?” The Lord said to David, “Go attack the Philistines and rescue Keilah.” 3 David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more would we be if we went to Keilah to fight against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 David inquired of the Lord once again, and the Lord said, “Rise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
5 David and his men went to Keilah and they fought with the Philistines. They slaughtered many of them, and they brought away their livestock. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to David at Keilah, he went down with an ephod in his hand.
Saul Chases David.[f] 7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hands for he has trapped himself behind gates and bars.” 8 Then Saul assembled all of the people for war, to go down to Keilah and lay siege to David and his men.
9 David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him, so he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has truly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on account of me. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hands? Will Saul come down here as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, I beg you to tell your servant.” The Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hands of Saul?” The Lord answered, “They will deliver you over.”
13 So David and his men (there were around six hundred of them) left Keilah and went wherever they could go. Saul heard that David had left Keilah, so he halted the pursuit.
14 David stayed in the wilderness strongholds, and he remained in the hill country of the Desert of Ziph. Saul sought him every single day, but God did not deliver him into his hands. 15 David realized that Saul was coming out to seek his life while he was in the Desert of Ziph at Horesh.
16 Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in Horesh and encouraged him in God. 17 This is what he said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul, my father, is not going to find you. You will be the king over Israel, and I will be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” 18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan returned home.
19 The Ziphites then came up to Saul in Gibeah saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, on the hill of Hachilah which is to the south of Jeshimon? 20 Therefore, come down as you wish to, O king, come down, and for our part we will deliver him into the king’s hands.” 21 Saul said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22 Go, please, and prepare yourselves. Investigate and reconnoiter where he is hidden and find out who has seen him there, for I have been told that he is very clever. 23 See, therefore, and find out about all the places where he is hiding, then come back to me with certain information. Then I will go with you, and if he is in the land, I will search for him all throughout the thousands of Judah.”
24 Escape from Saul. They rose up and preceded Saul to Ziph. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men were searching, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. Saul heard about this and pursued David in the Desert of Maon.
26 Saul was on one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain. David, out of fear, hurried to get away. Saul and his men were trying to surround David and his men to capture them.
27 A messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have invaded the land.” 28 Saul broke off his pursuit of David and he left to fight against the Philistines. This is why they called that place the Rock of Escape.
Chapter 24
David Spares Saul’s Life. 1 David went up from there and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi. 2 When Saul returned from pursuing after the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the desert in En-gedi.” 3 Saul took three thousand chosen men from out of all of Israel, and he went out and sought David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.
4 He came to the sheepfolds along the way, and there was a cave there. Saul entered it to relieve himself, and David and his men stayed in the recesses of the cave. 5 David’s men said to him, “This is the day that the Lord spoke of when he said, ‘I will deliver your enemy into your hands, you may do to him as you see fit.’ ” David got up and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6 But David’s conscience began to bother him because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 7 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my lord, lifting my hand against the Lord’s anointed, for he is the Lord’s anointed.” 8 [g]With these words David rebuked his servants, and he would not let them rise up against Saul.
Saul rose from the cave and went on his way. 9 David also arose and left the cave. He cried out after Saul saying, “My lord, the king.” Saul looked back and saw David bowed down, face to the ground, lying prostrate. 10 David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to men who say, ‘David is trying to harm you?’ 11 Behold, you have seen for yourself today how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not raise up my hand against my lord, for he is an anointed one of the Lord.’ 12 Look, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. I cut off the corner of your robe, but I did not kill you. So see and understand that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but yet you hunt me to take my life. 13 May the Lord be the judge between me and you. May the Lord take my vengeance upon you, but I will not raise my hand against you. 14 As the old proverb states, ‘Evil deeds come from evil doers,’ but I will not raise my hand against you. 15 Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? After a dead dog? After a flea? 16 May the Lord be a judge and decide between me and you. May he examine my cause and plead it; may he deliver me out of your hands.”
17 Saul’s Apology to David. When David had finished saying these things to Saul, Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son, David?” And Saul cried out and wept. 18 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I am, for you have treated me well, but I have treated you poorly. 19 Today you have revealed to me how you have treated me well, for the Lord had delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. 20 When a man finds his enemy, does he allow him to walk away unharmed? May the Lord richly reward you for what you have done to me today. 21 Truly, now I know that the kingdom of Israel will be firmly placed in your hands. 22 Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, nor will you eliminate my name from my father’s family.”
23 David swore an oath to Saul, and Saul returned to his home. David and his men went up into the stronghold.
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