THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
1 Samuel 22 ©
David, being fled from the Philistines, comes to Adullam: where his kindred and other oppressed people come to him, v. 1, etc. From thence he goes to Mizpeh in the land of the Moabites, 3. Where, with leave of the king of the Moabites, they remain for a while, 4. But by the warning of the prophet Gad, he returns to the land of Judah, 5. Of which Saul was informed, 6. He accuses his servants, yea even Jonathan of secret compact with David, 7. Doeg reveals to the king what he had heard and seen at Nob, 9. Wherefore Saul appoints the high priest Ahimelech, and all the rest of the priests to be put to death, 17. Which Doeg performed, slaying fourscore and five priests, 18. Saul causes the city of Nob, with all that is in it, to be laid waste, 19. Only Abiathar the priest remains alive, who fled unto David, 20. Who tells him what had passed at Nob, 21. David confesses, that he himself was the cause of this murder and misery, 22. And he takes Abiathar into his protection, 23.
DAVID therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave 1Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
And 2every one that was in 3distress, and every one 4that was in debt, and every one 5that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
¶And David went thence to 6Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto 7the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be 8with you, till I know what God will do for me.
And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the 9hold.
¶And the prophet 10Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
¶When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in 11Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)
Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye 12Benjamites; will 13the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that 14sheweth me that 15my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that 16my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
¶Then answered Doeg the 17Edomite, 18which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw 19the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of 20Ahitub.
And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of 21Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and 22goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? 23be it far from me: let not the king impute 24any thing 25unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing 26of all this, less or more.
And the king said, 27Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.
¶And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and 28slay the priests of the LORD; 29because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.
And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons 30that did wear a linen ephod.
And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the 31edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, 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, 32and fled after David.
And Abiathar 33shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD's priests.
And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would 34surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all 35the persons of thy father's house.
Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me 36thou shalt be in safeguard.