1 Samuel 22

¹ David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the caveWhich was in the tribe of Judah, near Bethlehem.Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard [it], they went down thither to him.

² And there gathered vnto him all men that were in trouble and all men that were in dette, and all those that were vexed in minde, and he was their prince, and there were with him about foure hundreth men.

³ And David went thence to Mizpeh ofFor there was another so called in Judah.Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, [and be] with you, till I know what God will do for me.

⁴ And heFor he feared the rage of Saul against his house.brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was inThat is, in Mizpeh, which was a stronghold.the hold.

⁵ And the Prophet Gad sayde vnto Dauid, Abide not in the holde, but depart and goe into the land of Iudah. Then Dauid departed & came into the forest of Hareth.

⁶ When Saul heard that David wasThat a great brute came on him.discovered, and the men that [were] with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants [were] standing about him;)

⁷ Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, yeYou that are of my tribe and lineage.Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, [and] make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

⁸ That all of you have conspired against me, and [there is] none that sheweth me that my 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 myBy this he would persuade them that this conspiracy was most horrible, where the son conspired against the father, and the servant against his master.son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

⁹ Then answered Doeg the Edomite (who was appoynted ouer the seruants of Saul) & sayd, I saw the sonne of Ishai when he came to Nob, to Ahimelech the sonne of Ahitub,

¹⁰ Who asked counsell of the Lorde for him and gaue him vitailes, and he gaue him also the sword of Goliath the Philistim.

¹¹ Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house,Which were the remnant of the house of Eli, whose house God threatened to punish.the priests that [were] in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.

¹² And Saul said, Heare now thou sonne of Ahitub; he answered, Here I am, my lord.

¹³ Then Saul sayde vnto him, Why haue yee conspired against me, thou & the sonne of Ishai, in that thou hast giuen him vitaile, and a sworde, and hast asked counsell of God for him, that he should rise against me, and lye in wayte as appeareth this day?

¹⁴ And Ahimelech answered the King, and sayde, Who is so faithfull among all thy seruants as Dauid, being also the Kings sonne in lawe, and goeth at thy commandement, and is honourable in thine house?

¹⁵ Have I not at other times also, when he had great affairs, consulted with the Lord for him?Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute [any] thing unto his servant, [nor] to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

¹⁶ Then the King sayd, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy fathers house.

¹⁷ And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because 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 kingFor they knew that they should not obey the wicked commandment of the king in slaying the innocent.would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

¹⁸ Then the King sayde to Doeg, Turne thou and fall vpon the Priests; Doeg the Edomite turned, and ran vpon the Priestes, and slewe that same daye foure score and fiue persons that did weare a linen Ephod.

¹⁹ Also Nob the citie of the Priestes smote he with the edge of the sword, both man & woman, both childe and suckling, both oxe and asse, and sheepe with the edge of the sword.

²⁰ And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar,This was God's providence, who according to his promise preserved some of the house of Eli, (1Sa_2:33).escaped, and fled after David.

²¹ And Abiathar shewed Dauid, that Saul had slayne the Lords Priestes.

²² And Dauid sayd vnto Abiathar, I knewe it the same day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would tell Saul. I am the cause of the death of all the persons of thy fathers house.

²³ Abide thou with me, & feare not: for he that seeketh my life, shall seeke thy life also: for with me thou shalt be in safegard.