1Så forlod David Gat og bragte sig i sikkerhed i Adullams klippehule. Dér sluttede hans brødre og andre slægtninge sig til ham.2I alt 400 mand samlede sig omkring ham. Det var folk, som var utilfredse med landets tilstand eller var kommet i vanskeligheder, var undertrykte eller forgældede.3Senere drog David til Mitzpa i Moab og sagde til Moabs konge: „Lad mine forældre få lov at opholde sig hos jer, indtil jeg bliver klar over Guds plan for mig.”4Han bragte dem så til Moabs konge, og de blev boende der, så længe David holdt til i sin fæstning i klippehulen.5En dag kom profeten Gad til David og sagde: „Du skal ikke blive i klippehulen, men vende tilbage til Judas land.” Så tog David af sted og kom til Heretskoven.
Massakren på præsterne
6Saul hørte snart, at David og hans mænd var kommet tilbage til Judas land. Selv opholdt han sig stadig i Gibea, hvor han sad under en tamarisk med sit spyd i hånden. Omkring ham stod alle hans ledende mænd.7„Hør efter, I mænd af Benjamins stamme!” sagde Saul. „Mon denne Isajs søn har lovet jer guld og grønne skove, når han engang bliver konge?8Hvorfor har I rottet jer sammen imod mig? Ikke én af jer har fortalt mig, at min egen søn har indgået en venskabspagt med den fyr. Ingen af jer har taget så meget hensyn til mig, at I har villet fortælle mig, at min egen søn har opmuntret min tjener til at ligge på lur efter mig, som han gør nu.”9-10Da svarede edomitten Doeg, som stod blandt Sauls mænd: „Da jeg var i Nob, hørte jeg, at David talte med præsten Ahimelek, søn af Ahitub. Ahimelek søgte råd hos Herren for ham, og gav ham rejseproviant og filisteren Goliats sværd.”11-12Saul sendte straks bud efter Ahimelek og hele hans familie, som var præster i Nob. Da de indfandt sig, sagde Saul: „Hør nu her, Ahitubs søn!” „Ja, herre!” svarede Ahimelek.13„Sig mig, hvorfor har du og Isajs søn rottet jer sammen imod mig? Hvorfor gav du ham rejseproviant og våben, og hvorfor rådspurgte du Gud for ham? Hvorfor har du opmuntret ham til forræderi, så han nu lurer på en anledning til at styrte mig fra tronen?”14„Jamen herre,” indvendte Ahimelek. „David er jo den mest loyale af alle dine tjenere! Han er din egen svigersøn! Han bliver aldrig antastet af dine livvagter, og han nyder stor anseelse ved hoffet.15Det er langtfra første gang, jeg har rådspurgt Gud for ham. Du må ikke anklage mig og min familie, for vi har intet kendskab til nogen sammensværgelse imod dig.”16„Du skal dø, Ahimelek, og hele din familie med!” hvæsede Saul.17Så råbte han til sine livvagter, som stod omkring ham: „Henret hele flokken af præster, for de har allieret sig med David. På trods af at de udmærket vidste, at David var på flugt for mig, røbede de ikke noget om ham til mig.” Men livvagterne nægtede at slå Herrens præster ihjel.18Så sagde kongen til edomitten Doeg: „Så må du slå præsterne ihjel!” Den dag dræbte Doeg 85 præster, der var iklædt deres præstedragter.19I Nob, hvor præsterne havde deres hjem, blev alle mænd, kvinder, børn og spædbørn myrdet, endog deres køer, æsler, geder og får blev hugget ned.20Den eneste, der undslap, var Ebjatar, en søn af Ahimelek. Han flygtede straks til David.21Da han fortalte, hvad Saul havde gjort,22udbrød David: „Jeg burde have sagt mig selv, at når Doeg var der, ville han sladre til Saul. Så det er mig, der er skyld i den tragedie, der har ramt din familie.23Bliv hos mig, og vær ikke bange. Den, som vil dig til livs, vil også mig til livs. Men her er du i sikkerhed.”
1David 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.Sam 23,13; 1.Krøn 11,15)2And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul,[1] gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men. (Dom 9,4; Dom 11,3; 1.Sam 23,13; 1.Sam 25,13)3And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay[2] with you, till I know what God will do for me.”4And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.5Then 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. (2.Sam 24,11; 2.Sam 24,18; 1.Krøn 21,9; 1.Krøn 21,11; 1.Krøn 21,13; 1.Krøn 21,18; 1.Krøn 29,29; 2.Krøn 29,25)
Saul Kills the Priests at Nob
6Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. (1.Mos 21,33; 1.Sam 31,13)7And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; 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, (1.Sam 8,14)8that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant 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.” (1.Sam 18,3; 1.Sam 22,13; 1.Sam 23,21)9Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, (1.Sam 14,3; 1.Sam 21,1; 1.Sam 21,7)10and he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” (4.Mos 27,21; 1.Sam 21,6; 1.Sam 21,9; 1.Sam 23,2; 1.Sam 23,4; 1.Sam 30,8; 2.Sam 5,19; 2.Sam 5,23)11Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king.12And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”13And 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?” (1.Sam 22,8; 1.Sam 22,10)14Then Ahimelech 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[3] your bodyguard, and honored in your house?15Is 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.” (1.Sam 22,10; 1.Sam 25,36)16And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.”17And 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 out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. (2.Kong 10,25; 2.Kong 11,4; 2.Kong 11,6; 2.Krøn 12,10)18Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. (1.Sam 2,31)19And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword. (1.Sam 15,3)20But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. (1.Sam 23,6; 1.Sam 23,9)21And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.22And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. (1.Sam 21,7)23Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.” (1.Kong 2,26)