Chapter 22

David therefore departed⁴ thence, and escaped¹¹ to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard⁴ [it], they went down⁴ thither to him.

And every one [that was] in distress, and every one that [was] in debt,⁵ and every one [that was] discontented, ⁵³¹⁵ gathered¹⁰¹ themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

And David went⁴ thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said⁴ unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth,⁴ [and be] with you, till I know⁴ what God will do⁴ for me.

And he brought⁵⁵ them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt⁴ with him all the while that David was in the hold.

And the prophet Gad said⁴ unto David, Abide⁴ not in the hold; depart,³ and get¹ thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed,⁴ and came⁴ into the forest of Hareth.

When Saul heard⁴ that David was discovered,⁸ and the men that [were] with him, (now Saul abode⁶ in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants [were] standing¹² about him;)

Then Saul said⁴ unto his servants that stood¹² about him, Hear³ now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give⁴ every one of you fields and vineyards, [and] make⁴ you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

That all of you have conspired¹ against me, and [there is] none that sheweth⁶ me that my son hath made a league² with the son of Jesse, and [there is] none of you that is sorry⁶ for me, or sheweth⁶ unto me that my son hath stirred up⁵² my servant against me, to lie in wait,⁶ as at this day?

Then answered⁴ Doeg the Edomite, which was set over¹² the servants of Saul, and said,⁴ I saw¹ the son of Jesse coming⁶ to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

And he enquired⁴ of the LORD for him, and gave¹ him victuals, and gave¹ him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

Then the king sent⁴ to call² Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that [were] in Nob: and they came⁴ all of them to the king.

And Saul said,⁴ Hear³ now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered,⁴ Here I [am], my lord.

And Saul said⁴ unto him, Why have ye conspired¹ against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given² him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired² of God for him, that he should rise² against me, to lie in wait,⁶ as at this day?

Then Ahimelech answered⁴ the king, and said,⁴ And who [is so] faithful¹² among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth¹ at thy bidding, and is honourable¹² in thine house?

Did I then begin⁵² to enquire² of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute⁴ [any] thing unto his servant, [nor] to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew¹ nothing of all this, less or more.

And the king said,⁴ Thou shalt surely² die,⁴ Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

And the king said⁴ unto the footmen⁵ that stood¹² about him, Turn,³ and slay⁵⁴ the priests of the LORD; because their hand also [is] with David, and because they knew¹ when he fled,⁶ and did not shew¹ it to me. But the servants of the king would¹ not put forth² their hand to fall² upon the priests of the LORD.

And the king said⁴ to Doeg, Turn³ thou, and fall³ upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned,¹¹ and he fell⁴ upon the priests, and slew⁵⁵ on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear⁶ a linen ephod.

And Nob, the city of the priests, smote⁵² he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings,⁶ and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped,¹¹ and fled⁴ after David.

And Abiathar shewed⁵⁵ David that Saul had slain¹ the LORD'S priests.

And David said⁴ unto Abiathar, I knew¹ [it] that day, when Doeg the Edomite [was] there, that he would surely⁵³ tell⁵⁵ Saul: I have occasioned¹ [the death] of all the persons of thy father's house.

Abide³ thou with me, fear⁴ not: for he that seeketh¹⁷ my life seeketh¹⁷ thy life: but with me thou [shalt be] in safeguard.