CHAPTER 22
1 Therefore David went from thence, and fled into the den of Adullam, (or And so David went from there, and fled to the cave of Adullam); and when his brethren, and all the house of his father had heard this, they came down thither to him.
2 And all men that were set in anguish, and oppressed with other men’s debt, and in bitter soul, came together to him; and he was made the prince of them, and as four hundred men were with him. (And all men who were set in anguish, and were oppressed with owing debt to other men, and were bitter in soul, came together to him; and so about four hundred men were with him.)
3 And David went forth from thence into Mizpeh, that is in Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, I pray, dwell my father and my mother with you, till I know what thing God shall do to me. (And David went forth from there to Mizpeh, which is in Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, I pray thee, let my father and my mother stay with you, until I know what God shall do for me.)
4 And he left them there before the face of the king of Moab; and they dwelled at him in all the days, that David was in stronghold. (And so he left them there with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the days that David was in his stronghold.)
5 And Gad, the prophet, said to David, Do not thou dwell in the forcelet, or the stronghold; go thou forth, and go into the land of Judah. And David went forth, and came into the forest of Hareth.
6 And Saul heard, that David appeared, and the men that were with him. And when Saul dwelled in Gibeah, and was in a wood that is in Ramah, and he held a spear in his hand, and all his servants stood about him, (And Saul heard that David, and the men who were with him, had appeared. And Saul then lived in Gibeah, and was in a forest that is in Ramah, and he held a spear in his hand, and all his servants stood about him,)
7 he said to his servants that stood nigh [to] him, Ye sons of Benjamin, hear me now; whether the son of Jesse shall give to all you fields and vineries, and he shall make all you chieftains upon thousands, and upon hundreds of men? (and he said to his officers who stood about him, Ye sons of Benjamin, hear me now; will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards, and will he make all of you chieftains over thousands, and chieftains over hundreds?)
8 For all ye have sworn, either conspired, together against me, and none is that telleth to me; mostly since also my son hath joined (in a) bond of peace with the son of Jesse; none is of you, that sorroweth for my stead, or my while, neither that telleth to me, for my son hath raised my servant against me, setting treason to me, unto this day. (Is that why all of you have conspired together against me, and no one told me that my son hath made a covenant with the son of Jesse; yea, none of you hath concern for me, nor even telleth me that my own son hath raised up my servant against me, setting treason for me, unto this day.)
9 Soothly Doeg of Idumea answered, that stood nigh, and was the first among the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse in Nob, at Ahimelech, the priest, the son of Ahitub; (And Doeg of Idumea, who stood near, and was the first among Saul’s officers, answered, and said, I saw Jesse’s son in Nob, with Ahimelech, the priest, the son of Ahitub;)
10 and Ahimelech counselled with the Lord for David, and gave him meats, (or and gave him food, or sustenance), but also he gave to David the sword of Goliath (the) Philistine.
11 Therefore the king sent to call Ahimelech, the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all the house of his father, of [the] priests that were in Nob; which all came to the king. (And so the king sent for Ahimelech, the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all those in his family, who were also priests in Nob; and they all came to the king.)
12 And Saul said to Ahimelech, Hear me, thou son of Ahitub. Which answered, Lord, I am ready. (And Saul said to Ahimelech, Listen to me, O son of Ahitub. Who answered, My lord, I am listening.)
13 And Saul said to him, Why hast thou conspired against me, thou, and the son of Jesse, and [thou] hast given loaves and a sword to him, and hast counselled with the Lord for him, that he should rise (up) against me, and he dwelleth a traitor (now) unto this day?
14 And Ahimelech answered to the king, and said, Who among all thy servants is so faithful as David, and he is thy son-in-law, and going at thy behest, and glorious in all thine house? (And Ahimelech answered the king, and said, Who among all thy servants is as faithful as David, and he is the king’s son-in-law, and doeth thy bidding, and who is more honourable in all thy household?)
15 Whether I began today to counsel (with) the Lord for him? Far be this from me; suppose not the king such (a) thing against his servant, (or) in all the house of my father (or in all my family); for thy servant knew not anything, either little, either great, of this cause.
16 And the king said, Ahimelech, thou shalt die by death, thou, and all the house of thy father. (And the king said, Ahimelech, thou shalt die, thou, and all thy family.)
17 And the king said to (the) men able to be sent out (to do his bidding), that stood about him, Turn ye, and slay the priests of the Lord, for the hand of them is with David; and they knew that he fled, and they showed not to me. Soothly the servants of the king would not hold forth their hand into the priests of the Lord (or But the king’s guards would not put their hands against the Lord’s priests).
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and hurtle into the priests of the Lord. And Doeg of Idumea turned, and hurtled into the priests, and strangled in that day fourscore and five men, clothed with ephods of linen cloth, or linen priests? capes, (or and killed eighty-five men that day, each bearing or wearing an ephod).
19 Forsooth he smote Nob (or And then he struck Nob), the city of the priests, by the sharpness of (the) sword, men and women, little children and (those) sucking, and ox, and ass, and sheep, (all) by the sharpness of (the) sword.
20 But one son of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, escaped, of which son the name was Abiathar; and he fled to David,
21 and (he) told him that Saul had slain the priests of the Lord.
22 And David said to Abiathar, Soothly I knew in that day, that when Doeg of Idumea was there, he would tell without doubt to Saul; I am guilty of all the lives that be slain of thy father(’s) house. (And David said to Abiathar, Truly I knew on that day, when Doeg the Idumean was there, that without a doubt he would tell Saul; yea, I am guilty for all the livesthat be lost in thy father’s family.)
23 Dwell thou with me, dread thou not; if any man seeketh thy life, he shall seek also my life, and thou shalt be kept with me. (Stay thou with me, and fear thou not; if any man seeketh thy life, he shall also seek my life, but thou shalt be kept safe with me.)