1 Samuel 22–23

Saul’s Increasing Paranoia

22So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. ^wWhen David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there. ²In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About 400 men were with him. ^x

³From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” ⁴So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

⁵Then the prophet Gad ^ysaid to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Leave and return to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

⁶Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree ^zat the high place. His spear was in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. ⁷Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin: Is Jesse’s son going to give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ^a8That’s why all of you have conspired against me! Nobody tells me ^bwhen my own son makes a covenant with Jesse’s son. ^cNone of you cares about me ^dor tells me ^ethat my son has stirred up my own servant to wait in ambush for me, as is the case today.”

⁹Then Doeg the Edomite, ^fwho was in charge of Saul’s servants, answered: “I saw Jesse’s son come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. ^g10Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him ^hand gave him provisions. ⁱHe also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” ^j

Slaughter of the Priests

¹¹The king sent messengers to summon Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and his father’s whole family, who were priests in Nob. All of them came to the king. ¹²Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub!”

“I’m at your service, ^kmy lord,” he said.

¹³Saul asked him, “Why did you and Jesse’s son conspire against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him, so he could rise up against me and wait in ambush, as is the case today.” ^l

¹⁴Ahimelech replied to the king: “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David? ^mHe is the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your house. ¹⁵Was today the first time I inquired of God for him? ⁿOf course not! Please don’t let the king make an accusation against your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant didn’t have any idea ^oabout all this.”

¹⁶But the king said, “You will die, Ahimelech—you and your father’s whole family!”

¹⁷Then the king ordered the guards standing by him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord ^pbecause they sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they didn’t tell me.” ^qBut the king’s servants would not lift a hand to execute the priests of the Lord.

¹⁸So the king said to Doeg, “Go and execute the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite went and executed the priests himself. On that day, he killed 85 men ^rwho wore linen ephods. ^s19He also struck down Nob, the city of the priests, with the sword—both men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep. ^t

²⁰However, one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, ^uand he fled to David. ^v21Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. ²²Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite ^wwas there that day and that he was sure to report to Saul. I myself am responsible for ^xthe lives of everyone in your father’s family. ²³Stay with me. Don’t be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. ^yYou will be safe with me.”

Deliverance at Keilah

23It was reported to David: “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah ^zand raiding the threshing floors.”

²So David inquired of the Lord: ^a“Should I launch an attack against these Philistines?”

The Lord answered David, “Launch an attack against the Philistines and rescue Keilah.”

³But David’s men said to him, “Look, we’re afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

⁴Once again, David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will hand the Philistines over to you.” ^b5Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, drove their livestock away, and inflicted heavy losses on them. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah. ⁶Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, and he brought an ephod with him.

⁷When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates.” ⁸Then Saul summoned all the troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

⁹When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, ^c“Bring the ephod.” ^d

¹⁰Then David said, “Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me. ¹¹Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, please tell Your servant.”

The Lord answered, “He will come down.”

¹²Then David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?”

“They will,” ^ethe Lord responded.

¹³So David and his men, numbering about 600, ^fleft Keilah at once and moved from place to place. ^gWhen it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition. ¹⁴David then stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. ^hSaul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him. ⁱ

A Renewed Covenant

¹⁵David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. ¹⁶Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God, ^j17saying, “Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, ^kand I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.” ^l18Then the two of them made a covenant in the Lord’s presence. ^mAfterward, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

David’s Narrow Escape

¹⁹Some Ziphites ⁿcame up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is ^ohiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon. ²⁰Now, whenever the king wants to come down, let him come down. Our part will be to hand him over to the king.” ^p

²¹“May you be blessed by the Lord,” replied Saul, “for you have taken pity on me. ^q22Go and check again. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes ^rand who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning. ²³Look and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with accurate information, and I’ll go with you. If it turns out he really is in the region, I’ll search for him among all the clans ^sof Judah.” ²⁴So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul.

Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon ^tin the Arabah south of Jeshimon, ²⁵and Saul and his men went to look for him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.

²⁶Saul went along one side of the mountain and David and his men went along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away from Saul, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. ^u27Then a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land!” ²⁸So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation. ^29vFrom there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi. ^w