1 Samuel 22 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David at the Cave of Adullam

1 So David ^H1732 departed ^H1980 from there ^H8033 and escaped ^H4422 to the cave ^H4631 of Adullam ^H5725; and his brothers ^H251 and all ^H3605 his father’s ^H1 household ^H1004 heard ^H8085 of it and went ^H3381 down ^H3381 there ^H8033 to him.

2 Then everyone ^H3605 who was in distress ^H4689, and everyone ^H3605 who ^H834 [fn]was in debt ^H5377, and everyone ^H3605 who was bitter ^H4751 of soul ^H5315, gathered ^H6908 to him; and he became ^H1961 a commander ^H8269 over ^H5921 them. Now there were about four ^H702 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 with him.

3 And David ^H1732 went ^H1980 from there ^H8033 to Mizpah ^H4708 of Moab ^H4124; and he said ^H559 to the king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124, “Please ^H4994 let my father ^H1 and my mother ^H517 come ^H3318 and stay with you until ^H5704 H834 I know ^H3045 what ^H4100 God ^H430 will do ^H6213 for me.” 4 Then he left ^H5148 them with the king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124; and they stayed ^H3427 with him all ^H3605 the time ^H3117 that David ^H1732 was in the fortress ^H4686. 5 And the prophet ^H5030 Gad ^H1410 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Do not stay ^H3427 in the fortress ^H4686; go ^H1980, and enter ^H935 into the land ^H776 of Judah ^H3063.” So David ^H1732 went ^H1980 and entered ^H935 into the forest ^H3293 of Hereth ^H2802.

Saul Puts the Priests at Nob to Death

6 Then Saul ^H7586 heard ^H8085 that David ^H1732 and the men ^H376 who ^H834 were with him had been discovered ^H3045. Now Saul ^H7586 was sitting ^H3427 in Gibeah ^H1390, under ^H8478 the tamarisk ^H815 tree ^H815 on the height ^H7413 with his spear ^H2595 in his hand ^H3027, and all ^H3605 his servants ^H5650 were standing ^H5324 around ^H5921 him.

7 And Saul ^H7586 said ^H559 to his servants ^H5650 who were standing ^H5324 around ^H5921 him, “Hear ^H8085 now ^H4994, O Benjamites ^H1145! Will the son ^H1121 of Jesse ^H3448 also ^H1571 give ^H5414 to all ^H3605 of you fields ^H7704 and vineyards ^H3754? Will he make ^H7760 you all ^H3605 commanders ^H8269 of thousands ^H505 and commanders ^H8269 of hundreds ^H3967? 8 For all ^H3605 of you have conspired ^H7194 against ^H5921 me so that there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 one ^H369 who reveals ^H1540 in my ear ^H241 when my son ^H1121 cuts ^H3772 a covenant with the son ^H1121 of Jesse ^H3448, and there ^H369 is ^H369 none ^H369 of you who is sorry ^H2470 for me or reveals ^H1540 in my ear ^H241 that my son ^H1121 has caused ^H6965 my servant ^H5650 to rise ^H6965 up ^H6965 against ^H5921 me to lie ^H693 in ^H693 ambush ^H693, as it is this ^H2088 day ^H3117.” 9 Then Doeg ^H1673 the Edomite ^H130, who ^H1931 was [fn]standing ^H5324 by the servants ^H5650 of Saul ^H7586, said ^H559, “I saw ^H7200 the son ^H1121 of Jesse ^H3448 coming ^H935 to Nob ^H5011, to Ahimelech ^H288 the son ^H1121 of Ahitub ^H285. 10 And he asked ^H7592 of Yahweh ^H3068 for him, gave ^H5414 him provisions ^H6720, and gave ^H5414 him the sword ^H2719 of Goliath ^H1555 the Philistine ^H6430.”

11 Then the king ^H4428 sent ^H7971 someone to summon ^H7121 Ahimelech ^H288 the priest ^H3548, the son ^H1121 of Ahitub ^H285, and all ^H3605 his father’s ^H1 household ^H1004, the priests ^H3548 who ^H834 were in Nob ^H5011; and all ^H3605 of them came ^H935 to the king ^H4428. 12 And Saul ^H7586 said ^H559, “Listen ^H8085 now ^H4994, son ^H1121 of Ahitub ^H285.” And he [fn]answered ^H559, “Here ^H2009 I am, my lord ^H113.” 13 Saul ^H7586 then said ^H559 to him, “Why ^H4100 have you and the son ^H1121 of Jesse ^H3448 conspired ^H7194 against ^H5921 me, in that you have given ^H5414 him bread ^H3899 and a sword ^H2719 and have asked ^H7592 of God ^H430 on his behalf, so that he would rise ^H6965 up ^H6965 against ^H413 me by lying ^H693 in ^H693 ambush ^H693 as it is this ^H2088 day ^H3117?”

14 Then Ahimelech ^H288 answered ^H6030 the king ^H4428 and said ^H559, “And who ^H4310 among all ^H3605 your servants ^H5650 is as faithful ^H539 as David ^H1732, even the king’s ^H4428 son-in-law ^H2860, who [fn]is captain over ^H413 your guard ^H4928, and is honored ^H3513 in your house ^H1004? 15 Did I just begin ^H2490 to ask ^H7592 of God ^H430 on his behalf today ^H3117? Far ^H2486 be it from me! Do not let the king ^H4428 impute ^H7760 anything ^H1697 to his servant ^H5650 or to any ^H3605 of the household ^H1004 of my father ^H1, for your servant ^H5650 knows ^H3045 nothing ^H3808 small ^H6996 or great ^H1419 of this ^H2088 whole ^H3605 affair ^H1697.” 16 But the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “You shall surely ^H4191 die ^H4191, Ahimelech ^H288, you and all ^H3605 your father’s ^H1 household ^H1004!” 17 And the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to the [fn]guards ^H7323 who were standing ^H5324 by him, “Turn ^H5437 around ^H5437 and put ^H4191 the priests ^H3548 of Yahweh ^H3068 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 because ^H3588 their hand ^H3027 also ^H1571 is with David ^H1732 and because ^H3588 they knew ^H3045 that he was fleeing ^H1272 and did not reveal ^H1540 it in my ears ^H241.” But the servants ^H5650 of the king ^H4428 were ^H14 not willing ^H14 to send ^H7971 forth ^H7971 their hands ^H3027 to fall ^H6293 upon the priests ^H3548 of Yahweh ^H3068. 18 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to Doeg ^H1673, “You turn ^H5437 around ^H5437 and [fn]attack ^H6293 the priests ^H3548.” And Doeg ^H1673 the Edomite ^H130 turned ^H5437 around ^H5437 and [fn]attacked ^H6293 the priests ^H3548, and he put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 that day ^H3117 eighty-five ^H8084 men ^H376 who wore ^H5375 the linen ^H906 ephod ^H646. 19 So he struck ^H5221 Nob ^H5011 the city ^H5892 of the priests ^H3548 with the edge ^H6310 of the sword ^H2719, both ^H4480 men ^H376 and women ^H802, infants ^H5768 and nursing ^H3243 babies ^H3243; also oxen ^H7794, donkeys ^H2543, and sheep ^H7716 he struck with the edge ^H6310 of the sword ^H2719.

20 But one ^H259 son ^H1121 of Ahimelech ^H288 the son ^H1121 of Ahitub ^H285, named ^H8034 Abiathar ^H54, escaped ^H4422 and fled ^H1272 after ^H310 David ^H1732. 21 And Abiathar ^H54 told ^H5046 David ^H1732 that Saul ^H7586 had killed ^H2026 the priests ^H3548 of Yahweh ^H3068. 22 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Abiathar ^H54, “I knew ^H3045 on that day ^H3117, when ^H3588 Doeg ^H1673 the Edomite ^H130 was there ^H8033, that he would surely ^H5046 tell ^H5046 Saul ^H7586. It is I who have turned ^H5437 against every ^H3605 person ^H5315 in your father’s ^H1 household ^H1004. 23 Stay ^H3427 with me; do not be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372, for he who ^H834 seeks ^H1245 my life ^H5315 seeks ^H1245 your life ^H5315, for you are [fn]safe ^H4931 with me.”