Beginning

21 Forsooth David came into Nob to Ahimelech, the priest; and Ahimelech wondered, for David had come (and Ahimelech wondered why David had come there); and he said to David, Why art thou alone, and no man is with thee?

² And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded to me a word, and said, No man know this thing, for which thou art sent from me, and what manner behests I have given to thee; for I said also to my young men, that they should go into that and that place (and so I said to my young men, that they should go to such and such a place);

³ now therefore if thou hast anything at hand, either five loaves (even five loaves), give thou (them) to me, either whatever thing thou findest.

⁴ And the priest answered to David, and said to him, I have not lay, that is, common, loaves at hand, but only holy bread; whether the young men be clean, and mostly of women? (And the priest answered David, and said to him, I do not have any lay loaves, or common bread, at hand, only holy bread; thy young men, be they clean, at least from women?)

⁵ And David answered to the priest, and said to him, And soothly if it is done of women, we have abstained us from yesterday and the third day ago, when we went out, and the vessels, that is, (the) bodies, of the young men were clean; certainly this way is defouled, but and it shall be hallowed today in the vessels. (And David answered the priest, and said to him, If it is asked of women, we have abstained ourselves from yesterday and the third day ago, when we went out, and so the young men’s bodies be clean; truly, that way is defiled, but their bodies remain pure.)

⁶ Therefore the priest gave to him hallowed bread, for none other bread was there, but only loaves of setting forth, that were taken away from the face of the Lord, that hot loaves shall be set forth. (And so the priest gave him the consecrated bread, for there was no other bread there, but only the loaves of setting forth, that is, the loaves of proposition, or the showbread, which had been taken away from before the Lord, and replaced with fresh hot loaves.)

⁷ And a man of the servants of Saul was there that day, within in the tabernacle of the Lord; and his name was Doeg of Idumea, the mightiest man of the herds(men) of Saul.

⁸ And David said to Ahimelech, If thou hast here at hand (a) spear, either (a) sword, give it to me; for I took not with me my sword, neither mine armours (nor my own arms, or my own weapons); for why the king’s word constrained me to go in haste.

⁹ And the priest said, Lo! the sword of Goliath (the) Philistine, whom thou killedest in the valley of Terebinth, is wrapped in a cloth next after [the] ephod; if thou wilt take this, take it; for (t)here is none other except that. And David said, None other is like this, give thou it to me. (And the priest said, Lo! the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou killedest in the Elah Valley, is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if thou wilt have it, then take it; for there is nothing else here except that. And David said, There is no other like it, give it to me.)

¹⁰ And so David rose up, and fled in that day from the face of Saul, and came to Achish, the king of Gath.

¹¹ And the servants of Achish said to him, when they had seen David, Whether this is not David, [the] king of the land? Whether they sang not to him by quires/by carols, and said, Saul smote a thousand, and David smote ten thousand? (Did they not sing about him as they danced, saying, Saul struck down thousands, but David struck down tens of thousands?)

¹² And David took these words in his heart, and he dreaded greatly of the face of Achish, king of Gath. (And David took these words to heart, and so he greatly feared King Achish of Gath.)

¹³ And David changed his mouth before Achish, and felled down betwixt their hands, and he painted on the doors of the gate, and his dribbles, that is, spittles, flowed down into his beard.

¹⁴ And Achish said to his servants, See ye the mad man? (See ye not that the man is mad?) why brought ye him to me?

¹⁵ whether mad men fail to us? why have ye brought in him, that he should be mad, while I am present? Deliver ye him from hence, lest he enter into mine house. (do we not have enough mad men here already? why have ye brought him in, so that he can be deranged right in front of me! Get ye him away from here, lest he enter into my house, and touch things!)

22 Therefore David went from thence, and fled into the den of Adullam (And so David went from there, and fled to the cave of Adullam); and when his brethren, and all the house of his father had heard this, they came down thither to him.

² And all men that were set in anguish, and oppressed with other men’s debt, and in bitter soul, came together to him; and he was made the prince of them, and as four hundred men were with him. (And all men who were set in anguish, and were oppressed with owing debt to other men, and were bitter in soul, came together to him; and so about four hundred men were with him.)

³ And David went forth from thence into Mizpeh, that is in Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, I pray, dwell my father and my mother with you, till I know what thing God shall do to me. (And David went forth from there to Mizpeh, which is in Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, I pray thee, let my father and my mother stay with you, until I know what God shall do for me.)

⁴ And he left them there before the face of the king of Moab; and they dwelled at him in all the days, that David was in stronghold. (And so he left them there with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the days that David was in his stronghold.)

⁵ And Gad, the prophet, said to David, Do not thou dwell in the forcelet, or the stronghold; go thou forth, and go into the land of Judah. And David went forth, and came into the forest of Hareth.

⁶ And Saul heard, that David appeared, and the men that were with him. And when Saul dwelled in Gibeah, and was in a wood that is in Ramah, and he held a spear in his hand, and all his servants stood about him, (And Saul heard that David, and the men who were with him, had appeared. And Saul then lived in Gibeah, and was in a forest that is in Ramah, and he held a spear in his hand, and all his servants stood about him,)

⁷ he said to his servants that stood nigh [to] him, Ye sons of Benjamin, hear me now; whether the son of Jesse shall give to all you fields and vineries, and he shall make all you chieftains upon thousands, and upon hundreds of men? (and he said to his officers who stood about him, Ye sons of Benjamin, hear me now; will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards, and will he make all of you chieftains over thousands, and chieftains over hundreds?)

⁸ For all ye have sworn, either conspired, together against me, and none is that telleth to me; mostly since also my son hath joined (in a) bond of peace with the son of Jesse; none is of you, that sorroweth for my stead, or my while, neither that telleth to me, for my son hath raised my servant against me, setting treason to me, unto this day. (Is that why all of you have conspired together against me, and no one told me that my son hath made a covenant with the son of Jesse; yea, none of you hath concern for me, nor even telleth me that my own son hath raised up my servant against me, setting treason for me, unto this day.)

⁹ Soothly Doeg of Idumea answered, that stood nigh, and was the first among the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse in Nob, at Ahimelech, the priest, the son of Ahitub; (And Doeg of Idumea, who stood near, and was the first among Saul’s officers, answered, and said, I saw Jesse’s son in Nob, with Ahimelech, the priest, the son of Ahitub;)

¹⁰ and Ahimelech counselled with the Lord for David, and gave him meats, (and gave him food, or sustenance), but also he gave to David the sword of Goliath (the) Philistine.

¹¹ Therefore the king sent to call Ahimelech, the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all the house of his father, of [the] priests that were in Nob; which all came to the king. (And so the king sent for Ahimelech, the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all those in his family, who were also priests in Nob; and they all came to the king.)

¹² And Saul said to Ahimelech, Hear me, thou son of Ahitub. Which answered, Lord, I am ready. (And Saul said to Ahimelech, Listen to me, O son of Ahitub. Who answered, My lord, I am listening.)

¹³ And Saul said to him, Why hast thou conspired against me, thou, and the son of Jesse, and [thou] hast given loaves and a sword to him, and hast counselled with the Lord for him, that he should rise (up) against me, and he dwelleth a traitor (now) unto this day?

¹⁴ And Ahimelech answered to the king, and said, Who among all thy servants is so faithful as David, and he is thy son-in-law, and going at thy behest, and glorious in all thine house? (And Ahimelech answered the king, and said, Who among all thy servants is as faithful as David, and he is the king’s son-in-law, and doeth thy bidding, and who is more honourable in all thy household?)

¹⁵ Whether I began today to counsel (with) the Lord for him? Far be this from me; suppose not the king such (a) thing against his servant, (or) in all the house of my father (or in all my family); for thy servant knew not anything, either little, either great, of this cause.

¹⁶ And the king said, Ahimelech, thou shalt die by death, thou, and all the house of thy father. (And the king said, Ahimelech, thou shalt die, thou, and all thy family.)

¹⁷ And the king said to (the) men able to be sent out (to do his bidding), that stood about him, Turn ye, and slay the priests of the Lord, for the hand of them is with David; and they knew that he fled, and they showed not to me. Soothly the servants of the king would not hold forth their hand into the priests of the Lord (But the king’s guards would not put their hands against the Lord’s priests).

¹⁸ And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and hurtle into the priests of the Lord. And Doeg of Idumea turned, and hurtled into the priests, and strangled in that day fourscore and five men, clothed with ephods of linen cloth, or linen priests’ capes (and killed eighty-five men that day, each of whom could carry the ephod).

¹⁹ Forsooth he smote Nob (And then he struck Nob), the city of the priests, by the sharpness of (the) sword, men and women, little children and (those) sucking, and ox, and ass, and sheep, (all) by the sharpness of (the) sword.

²⁰ But one son of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, escaped, of which son the name was Abiathar; and he fled to David,

²¹ and (he) told him that Saul had slain the priests of the Lord.

²² And David said to Abiathar, Soothly I knew in that day, that when Doeg of Idumea was there, he would tell without doubt to Saul; I am guilty of all the lives that be slain of thy father(’s) house. (And David said to Abiathar, Truly I knew on that day, when Doeg the Idumean was there, that without a doubt he would tell Saul; yea, I am guilty for all the lives that be lost in thy father’s family.)

²³ Dwell thou with me, dread thou not; if any man seeketh thy life, he shall seek also my life, and thou shalt be kept with me. (Stay thou with me, and fear thou not; if any man seeketh thy life, he shall also seek my life, but thou shalt be kept safe with me.)

23 And they told to David, and said, Lo! The Philistines fight against Keilah, and ravish the cornfloors (and steal the harvest/and rob the threshing floors).

² Therefore David counselled (with) the Lord, and said, Whether I shall go, and smite these Philistines? (And so David counselled with the Lord, and asked, Shall I go, and strike down these Philistines?) And the Lord said to David, Go forth, and thou shalt smite the Philistines, and thou shalt save Keilah.

³ And (the) men, that were with David, said to him, Lo! we be here in Judah, and have dread (and be afraid); how much more if we shall go into Keilah against the companies of (the) Philistines.

⁴ Therefore again David counselled with the Lord; the which answered (who answered), and said to David, Rise thou up, and go into Keilah; for I shall betake [the] Philistines into thine hand.

⁵ Therefore David went, and his men, into Keilah, and fought against the Philistines; and he drove away their work beasts, and smote them with [a] great wound; and David saved the dwellers of Keilah. (And so David and his men went to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines; and he took away their work beasts, and struck them down with a great slaughter; and so David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.)

⁶ And in that time, wherein Abiathar, [the] son of Ahimelech, fled to David into Keilah, he came down, and had with him (the) ephod, that is, the cloak of the highest priest. (And when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, joined David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.)

⁷ And it was told to Saul, that David had come into Keilah; and Saul said, The Lord hath taken him into mine hands, and he is (en)closed, and entered into a city, in which be gates and locks. (And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah; and Saul said, The Lord hath delivered him into my hands, and now he is enclosed, for he hath gone into a city, where there be gates and locks.)

⁸ And Saul commanded to all the people, that it should go down to battle into Keilah (that they should go down to do battle at Keilah), and besiege David and his men.

⁹ And when David perceived, that Saul made ready evil privily to him, he said to Abiathar, the priest, Bring hither [the] ephod. (And when David understood, that Saul planned to attack him, he said to Abiathar, the priest, Bring the ephod here.)

¹⁰ And David said, Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath heard say, that Saul disposeth to come to Keilah, that he destroy the city for me; (Then David said, Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath heard say, that Saul disposeth to come to Keilah, to destroy the city because of me;)

¹¹ if the men of Keilah shall betake me into his hands, and if Saul shall come down, as thy servant hath heard, thou Lord God of Israel, show to thy servant? And the Lord said, He shall come down. (will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hands? and will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He shall come down.)

¹² And David said again, Whether the men of Keilah shall betake me, and the men that be with me, into the hands of Saul? And the Lord said, They shall betake thee to Saul, if thou abidest him there. (And David asked, Shall the men of Keilah deliver me, and my men, into the hands of Saul? And the Lord said, They shall deliver thee to Saul, if thou waitest here for him.)

¹³ Therefore David rose, and his men, as six hundred; and they went out of Keilah, and wandered uncertain hither and thither. And it was told to Saul, that David had fled from Keilah, and was saved; wherefore Saul dissembled to go out. (And so David and his men, about six hundred in all, rose up; and they went out of Keilah, and wandered about with uncertainty. And it was told to Saul, that David had fled from Keilah, and so he was saved; and for a short while Saul left off going after him.)

¹⁴ But David dwelled in the desert, in full strong places, and he dwelled in the hill of (the) wilderness of Ziph, in a dark hill; nevertheless Saul sought him in all days, and the Lord betook not him into the hands of Saul. (And David lived in the wilderness, in secure places, and he stayed in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph, on a dark hill; and Saul continued to seek after him in all days, but the Lord did not deliver him into Saul’s hands.)

¹⁵ And David saw, that Saul went out, that he would seek his life. And David was in the desert of Ziph, in a wood. (And David saw, that Saul went out to seek his life. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in a forest.)

¹⁶ And Jonathan, the son of Saul, rose up, and went to David into the wood, and comforted his hands in God. (And Saul’s son Jonathan rose up, and went to David in the forest, and strengthened his hand in God/and encouraged him in the name of God.)

¹⁷ And he said to David, Dread thou not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt reign on Israel, and I shall be the second to thee; but also Saul my father knoweth this. (And he said to David, Fear not; for the hand of my father Saul shall not find thee, and thou shalt reign upon Israel, and I shall be second to thee; and my father Saul knoweth this.)

¹⁸ Therefore ever either smote (a) bond of peace before the Lord. And David dwelled in the wood; and Jonathan turned again into his house. (And so they both struck a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in the forest; and Jonathan returned home.)

¹⁹ Certainly men of Ziph went up to Saul in Gibeah, and said, Lo! whether not David is hid with us in the full secure places in the thick wood(s), in the hill of Hachilah, that is at the right side of desert? (Then men of Ziph went up to Saul in Gibeah, and said, Lo! David is hid among us in the most secure places, in the thick forest on Mount Hachilah, which is to the south of Jeshimon.)

²⁰ Now therefore come thou down, as thy soul desired, that thou shouldest come down; forsooth it shall be our doing, that we betake him into the hands of the king. (And so now come thou down, as thy soul truly desireth to come down; and it shall be our doing that we deliver him into thy hands.)

²¹ And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord, for ye [have] sorrowed for my stead/for my while (for ye be concerned about my situation).

²² Therefore, I pray you, go ye, and make ready more diligently, and do ye more curiously, either attentively, and behold ye swiftly, where his foot is, either who saw him there, where ye said; for he thinketh on me, that fellily I ambush him. (And so, I pray you, go ye, and more diligently, yea, most attentively, seek ye him out, and quickly see ye, where his foot is, and who saw him there, where ye said; for he thinketh, that I am foolish to even try to ambush him.)

²³ Behold ye, and see all his hiding places, in which he is hid, and then turn ye again to me at a certain thing, that I go with you; that if he encloseth himself yea in [the] earth, I shall seek him with(in) all the thousands of Judah. (Seek ye out, and see all his hiding places, where he can be hid, and return to me with this certain information, and then I shall go back with you; yea, if he is hid there in the land, I shall seek him out among all the thousands of Judah.)

²⁴ And they rose up, and went into Ziph before Saul. And David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the field places, at the right half of Jeshimon (And David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, to the south of Jeshimon).

²⁵ Therefore Saul went and his fellows to seek David, and it was told to David; and anon he went down to the stone, and lived in the desert of Maon; and when Saul had heard this, he pursued David in the desert of Maon. (And so Saul and his fellows went to seek out David, and this was told to David; and at once he went down to a rocky hill, and lived there in the wilderness of Maon; and when Saul had heard this, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.)

²⁶ And Saul went and his men at the side of the hill on [the] one part; forsooth David and his men were in the side of the hill on the tother part; soothly David despaired, that he might (not) escape from the face of Saul. And so Saul and his men compassed by the manner of a crown round about David and his men, that they should take them. (And Saul and his men went on one side of the hill; and David and his men were on the other side of the hill; and David truly despaired that he might not escape from Saul. And Saul and his men encompassed David and his men round about like a crown, in order to capture them.)

²⁷ And (then) a messenger came to Saul, and said, Haste thou, and come, for the Philistines have spread themselves on the land.

²⁸ Therefore Saul turned again, and ceased to pursue David; and went against the coming of (the) Philistines. For this thing they called that place The Stone of Parting (And because of this they called that place Selahammahlekoth).

²⁹ Therefore David went up from thence, and dwelled in the most secure places of Engedi.

24 And when Saul turned again, after that he pursued [the] Philistines, they told to him, and said, Lo! David is in the desert of Engedi (Lo! David is in the wilderness of Engedi).

² Therefore Saul took three thousand chosen men of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men, yea upon the most broken rocks, the which be thorough-ways to wild goats alone (which be thoroughfares only for wild goats).

³ And he came to the folds of sheep, that offered themselves to the way-goer. And there was a cave, into which Saul entered, that he would purge his womb; forsooth David and his men were hid in the inner part of the den. (And he came to the sheepfolds, or the pens, that offered themselves to the way-goer. And there was a cave, into which Saul entered, where he could empty his bowels; and David and his men were hid in the inner part of that cave.)

⁴ And the servants of David said to him, Lo! the day of which the Lord spake to thee, (and said,) I shall betake to thee thine enemy, that thou do to him as it pleaseth in thine eyes. Therefore David rose up, and cutted the hem off the mantle of Saul privily. (And David’s servants said to him, Lo! this is the day of which the Lord spoke to thee, and said, I shall deliver thy enemy to thee, so that thou can do to him as it pleaseth thee. And David rose up, and secretly cut off the hem of Saul’s mantle.)

⁵ After these things, David smote his heart, that is, his conscience reproved him, for he had cut away the hem of the mantle of Saul. (But after doing this, David’s heart struck him, that is, his conscience reproved him, for he had cut away the hem of Saul’s mantle.)

⁶ And David said to his men, The Lord be merciful to me, lest I do this thing to my lord, the anointed of the Lord, or that I send mine hand on him, for he is the christ of the Lord. (And David said to his men, The Lord forbid that I do this to my lord, who is the Lord’s anointed, or that I put my hand against him, for he is the Lord’s anointed.)

⁷ The Lord liveth, for but the Lord smite him, either his day come, that he die, either he go down into battle, and perish, the Lord be merciful to me, that I send not mine hand into the christ of the Lord; and David brake his men by such words, and suffered not them, that they rised against Saul. And Saul rose out of the den, and went in the way begun. (As the Lord liveth, but the Lord strike him down, or his day come that he die, or that he go down to the battle, and perish, the Lord forbid that I put my hand against the Lord’s anointed; and David convicted his men with such words, and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And so Saul left the cave without any harm, and went on the way begun.)

⁸ And David rose up after him, and he went out of the den, and cried after the back of Saul, and said, My lord, the king! And Saul beheld behind himself; and David bowed himself low to the earth, and worshipped him (and David bowed low to the ground, and honoured him).

⁹ And David said to Saul, Why hearest thou the words of men speaking, David seeketh evil against thee? (And David said to Saul, Why hearest thou the words of men who say that David seeketh to harm thee.)

¹⁰ Lo! today thine eyes saw, that the Lord betook thee in mine hand in the den, and I thought that I would slay thee, but mine eye spared thee; for I said, I shall not hold forth mine hand into my lord, for he is the anointed of the Lord. (Lo! today thine eyes can see that the Lord delivered thee into my hands in the cave, and I thought that I would kill thee, but instead, I spared thee; for I said, I shall not put my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.)

¹¹ But rather, my father, see thou, and know the hem of thy mantle in mine hand; for when I cutted away the hem off thy mantle, I would not hold forth mine hand against thee (for when I cut off the hem of thy mantle, I would not put forth my hand against thee); perceive thou, and see, for neither evil neither wickedness is in mine hand, neither I have sinned against thee; but thou ambushest my life, that thou do it away.

¹² The Lord deem betwixt me and thee, and the Lord venge me of thee (and the Lord avenge me upon thee); but mine (own) hand be not against thee,

¹³ as it is said in [the] eld proverb, Wickedness shall go out of wicked men; therefore mine hand be not against thee (and so my hand shall not be against thee).

¹⁴ Whom pursuest thou, king of Israel, whom pursuest thou? Thou pursuest a dead hound, and a quick flea.

¹⁵ The Lord be judge, and the Lord deem betwixt me and thee, and see, and deem my cause, and deliver me from thine hand.

¹⁶ And when David had filled, or ended, speaking such manner words to Saul, Saul said, Whether this is thy voice, my son David? And Saul raised up his voice, and wept.

¹⁷ And he said to David, Thou art more just than I; for thou gavest good things to me; but I have yielded evils to thee. (And he said to David, Thou art more in the right than I; for thou gavest good to me; but I yielded only evil to thee.)

¹⁸ And thou hast showed to me today, what goods thou hast done to me, how the Lord betook me in thine hand, and thou killedest not me. (And thou hast shown me today the good that thou hast done for me, yea, how the Lord delivered me into thy hands, but thou didest not kill me.)

¹⁹ For who, when he findeth his enemy, shall deliver him into (a) good way? But the Lord yield to thee this while, for that, (that) thou hast wrought today in me (for what thou hast done for me today).

²⁰ And now, for I know, that thou shalt reign most certainly, and shalt have in thine hand the realm of Israel, (And now, for I know, that most certainly thou shalt reign, and shalt have in thy hands the kingdom of Israel,)

²¹ swear thou to me in the Lord, that thou do not away my seed after me, neither take away my name from the house of my father. (swear thou to me by the Lord, that thou shalt not do away my descendants after me, nor take away my name from my father’s house.)

²² And David swore to Saul. Therefore Saul went into his house (And then Saul went back to his house), and David and his men went up to (the) secure places.