UST 1SA Chapter 22

◄ 1SA 22 ► ║ ═ ©

22 So David fled from Gath and went to hide in a cave on a hill near the town of Adullam. When his older brothers and his other relatives heard about this, they came and stayed with him there. 2 Then other men joined him. Some were in trouble. Others had debts they could not pay. Still others came because they did not like what was happening in Israel with Saul as king. David became their commander. Eventually he had an army of 400 men. 3 Later David and his men left there and went to the city of Mizpah in the land of Moab. There David asked the king of Moab, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” 4 The king agreed, so David brought his parents to Moab, where the king would protect them. David and his men found a safe place to hide in Moab. His parents stayed with the king for as long as he was there. 5 A prophet whose name was Gad was with him. One day he told David, “Leave your hideout here and return to Judah.” So David and his men went to the forest of Hereth in Judah. 6 Saul learned that people knew that David and his men had returned to Judah. One day Saul was sitting underneath the tamarisk tree on a hill in the city of Gibeah. He was holding his royal spear, and his officials were standing around him. 7 He shouted to them as they stood around him, “You men of the tribe of Benjamin, listen to me! Do not think that the son of Jesse will give all of you fields and vineyards if he becomes your king! Do not think that he will appoint all of you as generals and captains in his army! 8 You seem to think that, and that is why you have all conspired against me. Not one of you informed me that my own son had promised always to be friends with that son of Jesse! Not one of you felt sorry for me or told me that my son had encouraged my own servant to revolt against me! At this very moment he is hiding somewhere, hoping to surprise me and kill me!” 9 Doeg, a man from the Edomite people group, was standing there with Saul’s officers. He told Saul, “When I was at Nob, I saw that son of Jesse talking to Ahimelech the priest. 10 Ahimelech asked Yahweh to show David what he should do. Ahimelech also gave David some food, and he gave him the sword that had belonged to Goliath, the Philistine warrior champion.” 11 Then Saul sent messengers to summon the high priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub. The messengers also summoned all of Ahimelech’s relatives who were priests at Nob. So they all came and stood in front of the king. 12 Saul said to Ahimelech, “You son of Ahitub, listen to me!” Ahimelech answered, “Yes, sir?” 13 Saul said, “You are conspiring against me with that son of Jesse! You gave him some bread and a sword, and you asked God to tell him what he should do. You helped him to revolt against me, and at this very moment he is hiding somewhere, hoping to surprise me and kill me!” 14 Ahimelech replied, “I do not understand why you are saying that, because no one else who serves you is more loyal to you than David! He is your son-in-law and the captain of your bodyguards. The people in your household respect him very much. 15 I have asked God on previous occasions to tell David what he wanted him to do. I would never help anyone revolt against you! So please do not accuse me or any of my relatives of being disloyal to you. I do not know anything about what you are talking about.” 16 Saul shouted back, “Ahimelech, I am going to execute you and all your relatives right now!” 17 Then Saul commanded his bodyguards, who were standing around him, “These priests of Yahweh are conspiring with David against me! They knew that David was trying to run away from me, but they did not tell me! So I want you to kill them right away!” But Saul’s bodyguards refused to kill Yahweh’s priests. 18 Then Saul said to Doeg, “You kill them!” So Doeg, that man from the Edomite people group, did what Saul commanded and attacked the priests. He killed 85 men that day who were wearing sacred aprons because they were priests. 19 Then Doeg went to kill all the other people of Nob, the city where the priests lived. He killed all the men, women, children, babies, cattle, donkeys, and sheep who were there. 20 However, one of Ahimelech’s sons escaped. His name was Abiathar. He ran away and joined David and the men who were with him. 21 He told David that Saul had commanded Doeg to kill Yahweh’s priests. 22 Then David said to him, “That man from the Edomite people group, Doeg, was there at Nob on the day when I was there. I knew that he would surely tell Saul that your father helped me. So it is my fault that your father and all of his family are dead. 23 The man who wants to kill you also wants to kill me, so stay with me and do not be afraid. You you will be safe if you stay with me.”

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