1 A nd David goeth thence, and is escaped unto the cave of Adullam, and his brethren hear, and all the house of his father, and go down unto him thither;

So David departed 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.

2 a nd gather themselves unto him do every man in distress, and every man who hath an exactor, and every man bitter in soul, and he is over them for head, and there are with him about four hundred men.

And everyone in distress or in debt or discontented gathered to him, and he became a commander over them. And there were with him about 400 men.

3 A nd David goeth thence to Mizpeh of Moab, and saith unto the king of Moab, `Let, I pray thee, my father and my mother go out with you, till that I know what God doth for me;'

And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray you, come out and be with you till I know what God will do for me.

4 a nd he leadeth them before the king of Moab, and they dwell with him all the days of David's being in the fortress.

And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.

5 A nd Gad the prophet saith unto David, `Thou dost not abide in a fortress, go, and thou hast entered for thee the land of Judah;' and David goeth and entereth the forest of Hareth.

Then the prophet Gad said to David, Do not remain in the stronghold; leave, and get into the land of Judah. So David left and went into the forest of Hareth.

6 A nd Saul heareth that David hath become known, and the men who with him, and Saul is abiding in Gibeah, under the grove in Ramah, and his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing by him.

Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him. Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height, his spear in his hand and all his servants standing about him.

7 A nd Saul saith to his servants who are standing by him, `Hear, I pray you, ye Benjamites; also to all of you doth the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards! all of you he doth appoint heads of thousands and heads of hundreds!

Saul said to his servants who stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all commanders of thousands and hundreds,

8 f or ye have conspired all of you against me, and there is none uncovering mine ear about my son's covenanting with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you grieving for me, and uncovering mine ear, that my son hath raised up my servant against me, to lie in wait as this day.'

That all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a league with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as he does this day?

9 A nd answer doth Doeg the Edomite, who is set over the servants of Saul, and saith, `I have seen the son of Jesse coming in to Nob, unto Ahimelech son of Ahitub,

Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood with Saul’s servants, said, I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub.

10 a nd he asketh for him at Jehovah, and provision hath given to him, and the sword of Goliath the Philistine hath given to him.

And inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

11 A nd the king sendeth to call Ahimelech son of Ahitub, the priest, and all the house of his father, the priests, who in Nob, and they come all of them unto the king;

Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and they all came to the king.

12 a nd Saul saith, `Hear, I pray thee, son of Ahitub;' and he saith, `Here I, my lord.'

Saul said, Hear now, you son of Ahitub. He replied, Here I am, my lord.

13 A nd Saul saith unto him, `Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, by thy giving to him bread and a sword, and to ask for him at God, to rise against me, to lie in wait, as this day?'

Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so he could rise against me to lie in wait, as he does this day?

14 A nd Ahimelech answereth the king and saith, `And who among all thy servants as David -- faithful, and son-in-law of the king, and hath turned aside unto thy council, and is honoured in thy house?

Then Ahimelech answered the king, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and is taken into your council and honored in your house?

15 T o-day have I begun to ask for him at God? far be it from me! let not the king lay anything against his servant, against any of the house of my father, for thy servant hath known nothing of all this, less or more.'

Have I only today begun inquiring of God for him? No! Let not the king impute any wrong to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, little or much.

16 A nd the king saith, `Thou dost surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all the house of thy father.'

said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.

17 A nd the king saith to runners, those standing by him, `Turn round, and put to death the priests of Jehovah, because their hand also with David, and because they have known that he is fleeing, and have not uncovered mine ear;' and the servants of the king have not been willing to put forth their hand to come against the priests of Jehovah.

And the king said to the guard that stood about him, Turn and slay the Lord’s priests, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hands against the Lord’s priests.

18 A nd the king saith to Doeg, `Turn round thou, and come against the priests;' and Doeg the Edomite turneth round, and cometh himself against the priests, and putteth to death in that day eighty and five men bearing a linen ephod,

The king said to Doeg, You turn and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests and slew that day eighty-five persons who wore the priest’s linen ephod.

19 a nd Nob, the city of the priests, he hath smitten by the mouth of the sword, from man even unto woman, from infant even unto suckling, and ox, and ass, and sheep, by the mouth of the sword.

And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the sword; both men and women, children and sucklings, oxen and donkeys and sheep, he put to the sword.

20 A nd there escapeth one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, and his name Abiathar, and he fleeth after David,

And one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub named Abiathar escaped and fled after David.

21 a nd Abiathar declareth to David that Saul hath slain the priests of Jehovah.

And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the Lord’s priests.

22 A nd David saith to Abiathar, `I have known on that day when Doeg the Edomite there, that he doth certainly declare to Saul; I have brought round to every person of the house of thy father;

David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all your father’s house.

23 d well with me; fear not; for he who seeketh my life seeketh thy life; for a charge thou with me.'

Stay with me, fear not; for he who seeks my life seeks your life. But with me you shall be safeguarded.