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;

¶ And David departed from there and escaped to the cave Adullam; and when his brethren 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 every one that was in distress and every one that was in debt and all whose souls were bitter gathered themselves unto him, and he became the captain over them, and there were about four hundred men with him.

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 Mizpeh of Moab, and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth and be with you until I know what God will make of 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 fortress.

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.

And the prophet Gad said unto David, do not abide in this fortress; depart, and go into the land of Judah. Then David departed and came 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.

¶ When Saul heard how David had appeared 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 slaves were 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!

then Saul said unto his slaves that stood about him, Hear now, ye sons of Jemini, 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 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, and there is no one that shows me that my son has made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me or shows unto me that my son has stirred up my slave against me, to lie in wait against me, as at 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 was set over the slaves of Saul, answered and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech, the 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 he enquired of the LORD for him and gave him provision and gave him 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 that were in 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.'

And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, 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?'

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?

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 said, And who is so faithful among all thy slaves as David, the king’s son-in-law, who goes at thy bidding and is honourable in thy 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.'

Did I begin to enquire of God for him today? Be it far from me; let not the king impute any thing unto his slave nor to all the house of my father, for thy slave knew nothing of all this, less or more.

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

And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou and all thy 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.

Then 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 show it to me. But the slaves of the king would not put forth their hands to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

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,

Then 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 eighty-five men that wore a 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 edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings and oxen and asses and sheep with the edge of 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, the 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 gave David the news 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;

And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day when Doeg, the Edomite, was there that he would surely tell Saul. I have given cause before Saul against all the persons of thy 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.'

Abide thou with me; do not fear, for he that seeks my life seeks thy life; it is good that thou shalt be kept with me.