I Samuel 22 · שמואל א

David therefore departed from there, 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.

And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

And David went thence to Miżpe of Mo᾽av: and he said to the king of Mo᾽av, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come out, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.

And he brought them before the king of Mo᾽av: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the fortress.

And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not abide in the fortress; depart, and get thee into the land of Yehuda. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Ḥeret.

When Sha᾽ul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him (now Sha᾽ul dwelt in Giv῾a under the tamarisk tree in Rama, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)

then Sha᾽ul said to his servants that stood about him, Hear now, you Bene-yemini; will the son of Yishay give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

that all of you have conspired against me and there is none that gave me an intimation when my son made a league with the son of Yishay, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or lets me know that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

Then answered Do᾽eg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Sha᾽ul, and said, I saw the son of Yishay coming to Nov, to Aĥimelekh the son of Aĥituv.

And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him food, and gave him the sword of Golyat the Pelishtian.

Then the king sent to call Aĥimelekh the priest, the son of Aĥituv, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nov: and they came all of them to the king.

And Sha᾽ul said, Hear now, thou son of Aĥituv. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

And Sha᾽ul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, thou and the son of Yishay in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

Then Aĥimelekh answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, who is the king’s son in law, and gives heed at thy bidding, and is honourable in thy house?

Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing to his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Aĥimelekh, thou, and all thy father’s house.

And the king said to the runners 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 reveal it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.

And the king said to Do᾽eg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Do᾽eg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day eighty five persons that did wear a linen efod.

And Nov, 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.

And one of the sons of Aĥimelekh the son of Aĥituv, named Evyatar escaped, and fled after David,

And Evyatar told David that Sha᾽ul had slain the Lord’s priests.

And David said to Evyatar, I knew it that day, when Do᾽eg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Sha᾽ul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.

Remain with me, fear not: for he that seeks my life seeks thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.