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1 Samuel 22

New International Reader’s Version



1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. His brothers and the other members of his family heard about it. So they went down to join him there. 2 Everyone who was in trouble or owed money or was unhappy gathered around him. He became their commander. About 400 men were with him. 3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab. He spoke to the king of Moab. He said, ‘Please let my father and mother come and stay with you. Let them stay until I learn what God will do for me.’ 4 So David left his parents with the king of Moab. They stayed with him as long as David was in his usual place of safety. 5 But the prophet Gad spoke to David. He said, ‘Don’t stay in your usual place of safety. Go into the land of Judah.’ So David left and went to the forest of Hereth. 



6 Saul heard that the place where David and his men were hiding had been discovered. Saul was sitting under a tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah. He was holding his spear. All his officials were standing at his side. 7 Saul said to them, ‘Men of Benjamin, listen to me! Do you think Jesse’s son will give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make some of you commanders of thousands of men? Do you think he’ll make the rest of you commanders of hundreds? 8 Is that why all of you have joined together against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with Jesse’s son. None of you is concerned about me. No one tells me that my son has stirred up Jesse’s son to hide and wait to attack me. But that’s exactly what’s happening now.’ 9 Doeg was standing with Saul’s officials. He was from Edom. He said, ‘I saw Jesse’s son David come to Ahimelek at Nob. Ahimelek is the son of Ahitub. 10 Ahimelek asked the LORD a question for David. He also gave him food and the sword of Goliath, the Philistine.’ 11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek, the son of Ahitub. The king also sent for all the men in his family. They were the priests at Nob. All of them came to the king. 12 Saul said, ‘Son of Ahitub, listen to me.’ ‘Yes, master,’ he answered. 13 Saul said to him, ‘Why have you and Jesse’s son joined together against me? Why did you give him bread and a sword? Why did you ask God a question for him? Now he has turned against me. He is hiding and waiting to attack me at this very moment.’ 14 Ahimelek answered the king, ‘David is faithful to you. In fact, he’s more faithful to you than anyone else who serves you. He’s your own son-in-law. He’s the captain of your own personal guards. He’s highly respected by everyone in your palace. 15 Was that day the first time I asked God a question for him? Of course not! Please don’t bring charges against me. Please don’t bring charges against anyone in my family. I don’t know anything at all about this whole matter.’ 16 But the king said, ‘Ahimelek, you will certainly be put to death. You and your whole family will be put to death.’ 17 Then the king gave an order to the guards at his side. He said, ‘Go and kill the priests of the LORD. They are on David’s side too. They knew he was running away from me. And they didn’t even tell me.’ But the king’s officials wouldn’t raise a hand to strike down the priests of the LORD. 18 Then the king ordered Doeg, ‘You go and strike down the priests.’ So Doeg, the Edomite, went and struck them down. That day he killed 85 priests who wore linen aprons. 19 He also killed the people of Nob with his sword. Nob was a town where priests lived. Doeg killed its men and women. He killed its children and babies. He also destroyed its cattle, donkeys and sheep. 20 But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelek, escaped. Ahimelek was the son of Ahitub. Abiathar ran away and joined David. 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, ‘One day I was at Nob. I saw Doeg, the Edomite, there. I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. Your whole family has been killed. And I’m responsible for it. 23 So stay with me. Don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you wants to kill me too. You will be safe with me.’ 

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1 Samuel 22

English Standard Version



1 David 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. (2Sa 23:13; 1Ch 11:15) 2 And 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. (Jud 9:4; Jud 11:3; 1Sa 23:13; 1Sa 25:13) 3 And 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.” 4 And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5 Then 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. (2Sa 24:11; 2Sa 24:18; 1Ch 21:9; 1Ch 21:11; 1Ch 21:13; 1Ch 21:18; 1Ch 29:29; 2Ch 29:25) 



6 Now 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. (Ge 21:33; 1Sa 31:13) 7 And 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, (1Sa 8:14) 8 that 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.” (1Sa 18:3; 1Sa 22:13; 1Sa 23:21) 9 Then 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, (1Sa 14:3; 1Sa 21:1; 1Sa 21:7) 10 and he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” (Nu 27:21; 1Sa 21:6; 1Sa 21:9; 1Sa 23:2; 1Sa 23:4; 1Sa 30:8; 2Sa 5:19; 2Sa 5:23) 11 Then 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. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 And 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?” (1Sa 22:8; 1Sa 22:10) 14 Then 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? 15 Is 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.” (1Sa 22:10; 1Sa 25:36) 16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” 17 And 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. (2Ki 10:25; 2Ki 11:4; 2Ki 11:6; 2Ch 12:10) 18 Then 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. (1Sa 2:31) 19 And 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. (1Sa 15:3) 20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. (1Sa 23:6; 1Sa 23:9) 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 And 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. (1Sa 21:7) 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.” (1Ki 2:26) 

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