22:1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard [it], they went down thither to him.
22:2 And every one [that was] in distress, and every one that [was] in debt, and every one [that was] discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
22:3 And David went thence to Mitzpeh Mo'av: and he said unto the melekh Mo'av, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, [and be] with you, till I know what Elohim (אלהים) will do for me.
22:4 And he brought them before the melekh Mo'av: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.
22:5 And the Navi Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Yehudah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Cheret.
22:6 When Sha'ul heard that David was discovered, and the men that [were] with him, (now Sha'ul abode in Giveah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his avadim [were] standing about him;)
22:7 Then Sha'ul said unto his avadim that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benyamin; will Ben Yishai give every one of you fields and vineyards, [and] make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
22:8 That all of you have conspired against me, and [there is] none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with Ben Yishai, and [there is] none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my eved against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
22:9 Then answered Do'eg the Edomite, which was set over the avadim of Sha'ul, and said, I saw Ben Yishai coming to Nov, to Achimelekh (אחימלך) Ben Achituv.
22:10 And he enquired of YHWH (יהוה) for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Golyat the Pelishti .
22:11 Then the melekh sent to call Achimelekh (אחימלך) ha kohen, Ben Achituv, and all his father's house, the Kohanim that [were] in Nov: and they came all of them to the melekh.
22:12 And Sha'ul said, Hear now, thou ben Achituv. And he answered, Here I [am], my master.
22:13 And Sha'ul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and Ben Yishai, in that thou hast given him lechem, and a sword, and hast enquired of Elohim (אלהים) for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
22:14 Then Achimelekh (אחימלך) answered the melekh, and said, And who [is so] faithful among all thy avadim as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
22:15 Did I then begin to enquire of Elohim (אלהים) for him? be it far from me: let not the melekh impute [any] thing unto his eved, [nor] to all the house of my father: for thy eved knew nothing of all this, less or more.
22:16 And the melekh said, Thou shalt surely die, Achimelekh (אחימלך), thou, and all thy father's house.
22:17 And the melekh said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the Kohanim of YHWH (יהוה); because their hand also [is] with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the avadim of the melekh would not put forth their hand to fall upon the Kohanim of YHWH (יהוה).
22:18 And the melekh said to Do'eg, Turn thou, and fall upon the Kohanim. And Do'eg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the Kohanim, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
22:19 And Nov, the city of the Kohanim, smote he 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.
22:20 And Ben Echad Achimelekh (אחימלך) Ben Achituv, named Evyatar (אביתר), escaped, and fled after David.
22:21 And Evyatar (אביתר) shewed David that Sha'ul had slain YHWH (יהוה)'S Kohanim.
22:22 And David said unto Evyatar (אביתר), 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.
22:23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou [shalt be] in safeguard.
