1 Samuel 22

New King James Version

David’s Four Hundred Men^(A)

22 David therefore departed from there and^(B)escaped^(C)to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heardit,they went down there to him.^2 (D)And everyonewho wasin distress, everyone whowasin debt, and everyonewho was^[a]discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about^(E)four hundred men with him.

³ Then David went from there to Mizpah of^(F)Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.”⁴ So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

⁵ Now the prophet^(G)Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Saul Murders the Priests

⁶ When Saul heard that David and the men whowerewith him had been discovered—now Saul was staying in^(H)Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him—⁷ then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse^(I)give every one of you fields and vineyards,andmake you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds?⁸ All of you have conspired against me, andthere isno one who reveals to me that^(J)my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; andthere isnot one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, asit isthis day.”

⁹ Then answered^(K)Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to^(L)Ahimelech the son of^(M)Ahitub.^10 (N)And he inquired of theLordfor him,^(O)gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ So the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests whowerein Nob. And they all came to the king.¹² And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!”

He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

¹³ Then Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”

¹⁴ So Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servantsis as^(P)faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house?¹⁵ Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant,orto any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.”

¹⁶ And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all^(Q)your father’s house!”¹⁷ Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of theLord, because their hand alsoiswith David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king^(R)would not lift their hands to strike the priests of theLord.¹⁸ And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and^[b]struck the priests, and^(S)killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod.^19 (T)Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.

^20 (U)Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar,^(V)escaped and fled after David.²¹ And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed theLord’s priests.²² So David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomitewasthere, that he would surely tell Saul. I have causedthe deathof all the persons of your father’s^[c]house.²³ Stay with me; do not fear.^(W)For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me youshall besafe.”