1 Samuel 22 - New Catholic Bible (NCB)

Chapter 22

David Flees. 1 David left and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all of his father’s household heard, they went down to him there. 2 Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. He had about four hundred men with him.[a]

3 From there, David traveled to Mizpah in Moab. He said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you until I know what God will do with me.” 4 He brought them to the king of Moab, and they lived with him the whole time that David was in the stronghold.

5 But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold.[b] Leave, and go to the land of Judah.” David left and went into the forest of Hareth.

Doeg Betrays Ahimelech. 6 Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. Saul, holding a spear in his hand, was sitting in Gibeah under the tree of Ramah, and all of his servants were standing around him. 7 Saul said to his servants who were standing around him, “Hear now, you Benjaminites. Will each of you give fields and vineyards to the son of Jesse? Will you all be officers of thousands and officers of hundreds? 8 Is that why all of you have conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me today.”

9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s servants, said, “I saw the son of Jesse go to Nob, to Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub. 10 Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him, and he gave him provisions, and he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Saul Slays the Priests. The king summoned Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, the priest, as well as all of his father’s family in Nob who were also priests. All of them came to the king. 12 He said, “Listen now, O son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired with the son of Jesse against me? You gave him bread and a sword. You inquired of God whether he should lie in wait for me today.”

14 Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all of your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, who goes about at your bidding, and who is respected in your house? 15 Was that the first time I inquired of the Lord for him? No! Let the king not accuse your servant or any of my father’s family, for your servant knows absolutely nothing about any of this.”

16 The king said, “You must die, Ahimelech, you and all of your father’s family.” 17 The king said to the guards who were standing around him, “Turn around and kill the priests of the Lord, for they are in league with David. They knew about his fleeing, and they did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not stretch out their hands to fall upon the priests of the Lord.

18 So the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and fall upon the priests.” Doeg the Edomite turned around, and he fell upon the priests, killing eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod that day. 19 He put Nob, the city of the priests, to the sword: men, women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.

20 Abiathar Escapes. Now one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, escaped. He was named Abiathar, and he fled to David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the Lord’s priests. 22 David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when I saw that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of everyone in your father’s family. 23 Stay with me, and do not be afraid. The same man who seeks my life seeks your life as well, but you will be safe with me.”[c]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 22:2 David, himself a fugitive, gathers around him a motley crew of followers, who somehow remain faithful to him and who become military leaders and “mighty men” (2 Sam 23:8).
  2. 1 Samuel 22:5 Stronghold: a safe place, most likely connected with the cave in verse 1.
  3. 1 Samuel 22:23 You will be safe with me: unlike Saul, who destroyed the priesthood, David takes Abiathar, the lone survivor, under his wing.

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1 Samuel 22 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

22 And David goeth thence, and is escaped unto the cave of Adullam, and his brethren hear, and all the house of his father, and go down unto him thither; 2 and gather themselves unto him do every man in distress, and every man who hath an exactor, and every man bitter in soul, and he is over them fo...
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1 Samuel 22 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

22 Therefore David went from thence, and fled into the den of Adullam (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 othe...
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1 Samuel 22 - World English Bible (WEB)

22 David therefore departed from there, and escaped to Adullam’s cave. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became captain o...
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1 Samuel 22 - The Voice (VOICE)

22 That is how David escaped, and from there, he went to the cave of Adullam to hide. When his brothers and the rest of his family heard he was there, they went down to be with him. 2 A group gathered around him, composed of those who were in debt or who were not content with Saul or who were in tr...
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1 Samuel 22 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Flight to a Cave and to Moab22 So David walked from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard about it, they went down there to him. 2 Anyone who was in distress, anyone in debt, and anyone embittered rallied around him, and he became their leader....
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1 Samuel 22 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

David and His Followers at Adul′lam22 David 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. 2 And every one who was in distress, and every one who was in debt, and every one who was discontented, gathere...
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1 Samuel 22 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

David and His Followers at Adullam22 David 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. 2 And every one who was in distress, and every one who was in debt, and every one who was discontented, gathered...
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1 Samuel 22 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

David and His Followers at Adullam22 David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; when his brothers and all his father’s house heard of it, they went down there to him. 2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he be...
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1 Samuel 22 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

David and His Followers at Adullam22 David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; when his brothers and all his father’s house heard of it, they went down there to him.(A)2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him, and he b...
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1 Samuel 22 - New Living Translation (NLT)

David at the Cave of Adullam22 So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. 2 Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men. 3 Later Davi...
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1 Samuel 22 - New Life Version (NLV)

Religious Leaders Are Killed22 So David left there and ran to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all those of his father’s house heard about it, they went down there to him. 2 Then everyone who was in trouble, everyone who owed money, and everyone who was not happy with the way he was livin...
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1 Samuel 22 - New King James Version (NKJV)

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 heard it, they went down there to him. 2 (D)And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was [a]discontented ga...
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1 Samuel 22 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

David at Adullam and Mizpah22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered round him, and he became their commander. About four hundr...
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1 Samuel 22 - New International Version (NIV)

David at Adullam and Mizpah22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave(A) of Adullam.(B) When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered(C) around him, and he became their commander. About f...
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1 Samuel 22 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

David at Adullam and Mizpah22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. His brothers and the other members of his family heard about it. So they went down to join him there. 2 Everyone who was in trouble or owed money or was unhappy gathered around him. He became their commander. About 40...
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1 Samuel 22 - New English Translation (NET)

David Goes to Adullam and Mizpah22 So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s family[a] learned about it, they went down there to him. 2 All those who were in trouble or owed someone money or were discontented[b] gathered around[c] him, an...
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