1 Samuel 22-23
Modern English Version
David Protects His Parents
22 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 to him there. 2 There gathered to him every one that was in distress, and every one in debt, and every one that was discontented. So he became captain over them. Now there were with him about four hundred men.
3 Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come forth and be with you until I know what God will do for me.” 4 He brought them before the king of Moab, and they lived with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.
5 The prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah.” So David went and came to the forest of Hereth.
Saul Kills the Priests of Nob
6 When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him were discovered, Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the hill with his spear in his hand. And all his servants were standing about him. 7 Saul said to his servants that stood about him, “Hear now, Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he appoint you all as captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? 8 You have all conspired against me, and no one revealed to me that my son made a covenant with the son of Jesse. And not one of you is grieved for me and revealed it to me that my son raised up my servant against me to ambush me as at this day.”
9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was chief over the servants of Saul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelek the son of Ahitub. 10 And he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions. And he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 So the king sent to summon Ahimelek the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob. And they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!”
And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you gave him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me to ambush me, as at this day?”
14 Then Ahimelek answered the king and said, “And who is as faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, chief of your bodyguard, and is honored in your house? 15 Did I just today begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king assign any blame to his servant, or to all the house of my father. For your servant has known nothing of all this matter, whether small or great.”
16 The king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and all your father’s house.”
17 The king said to the guards standing near him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand is with David. And because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me.”
But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to attack the priests of the Lord.
18 The king said to Doeg, “You turn and fall upon the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword. Both men and women, children and babies, oxen, donkeys, and sheep, he struck with the edge of the sword.
David, Protector of the Priestly Line
20 But one of the sons of Ahimelek the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 Abiathar reported to David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 David said to Abiathar, “I knew it that day when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Remain with me. Do not fear. For the one who seeks my life seeks your life, but you are safe with me.”
David Saves Keilah
23 Then they told David, “Listen, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are looting the threshing floors.” 2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”
And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and rescue Keilah.”
3 The men of David said to him, “We are afraid here in Judah. How much more then, if we go down to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
4 Then David again inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah because I am giving the Philistines into your hand.” 5 Then David and his men went to Keilah. He fought with the Philistines and carried off their livestock, and he struck them with a great slaughter. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelek fled to David at Keilah, he came down with the ephod in his hand.
Saul Pursues David
7 It was reported to Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand. For he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.” 8 Then Saul summoned all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 David found out that Saul was planning evil against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod near.” 10 And David said, “O Lord, God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on account of me. 11 Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.”
And the Lord said, “He will come down.”
12 Then said David, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”
13 So David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and left Keilah. And they went wherever they could go. Now it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. So he halted the expedition.
14 And David remained in the wilderness in strongholds, and dwelled in mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
15 Now David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh. 16 Jonathan, the son of Saul, arose and went to David at Horesh. And he strengthened his hand in God. 17 He said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you. Saul my father knows this.” 18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul to Gibeah saying, “Is David not hiding himself with us in strongholds in Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down. And our part will be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”
21 Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord. For you have had compassion on me. 22 Please go, make sure again. Investigate and see the place where his foot rests, and who has seen him there. For it has been said to me that he is very cunning. 23 So look and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself. And come to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it will be that if he is in the land, then I will track him throughout all the clans of Judah.”
24 So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the desert south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men went to seek him, but they told David. Therefore he came down to the Rock, and lived in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the Wilderness of Maon.
26 Saul went on this side of the mountain and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away from Saul. Now Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul saying, “Hurry and go! For the Philistines have invaded the land.” 28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and he went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape. 29 David then went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.