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アドラムとミツパにて
1ダビデはガテを去り、アドラムのほら穴へ逃げ延びました。そうこうするうち、そこに兄弟や身内の者が、しだいに集まって来たのです。 2そのほか、問題や借金をかかえた者、不満を持つ者などが集まって来たので、たちまちダビデの周囲には、四百人ほどの集団ができました。 3ダビデはこのあとモアブのミツパへ行き、モアブ王に、事態がはっきりするまで両親を保護してもらえないかと頼みました。 4それでダビデの両親は、ダビデがほら穴に立てこもっている間、ずっとモアブ王のもとにいました。
ノブの祭司たちを殺すサウル
5ある日のこと、預言者ガドがダビデに、ほら穴を出てユダの地に帰るようにと言ったので、ダビデはハレテの森へ移りました。 6ダビデがユダに戻ったという知らせは、やがてサウル王の耳に届きました。ちょうどその時、サウルはギブアの柳の木の下で、槍を手にして座っていたところでした。彼の回りには家臣たちが並んでいました。 7その知らせを聞いた時、王は声を上ずらせて言いました。「ベニヤミンの者たちよ、よく聞け！ ダビデはおまえたちに畑やぶどう畑をくれたか。軍の指揮官に取り立ててやるとでも約束したか。 8それなのにどうして、おまえたちは私を欺いたのだ。だれ一人、私の息子ヨナタンがダビデに通じていることを話してくれなかったではないか。私のために悲しんでくれる者もいない。考えてもみろ。息子が、ダビデが私を殺しに来るのを助けているのだ。」
9-10その時、家臣の中に同席していたエドム人ドエグが口を開きました。「私がノブにおりました時、ダビデが祭司アヒメレクと話しているのを見かけました。アヒメレクは、ダビデのために主にお伺いを立て、そのうえ、パンとペリシテ人ゴリヤテの剣を与えたのでございます。」
11-12王は、直ちにアヒメレクとその全家族、それにノブにいる祭司全員を呼び寄せました。一同がそろうと、激しい口調でアヒメレクを責めました。「よく聞け、アヒトブの息子！」
「何でございましょう。」
アヒメレクはびくびくしながら答えました。
13「おまえはダビデと組んで、この私に盾つく気か。どうしてダビデにパンと剣を与えたり、神に伺いを立ててやったりしたのだ。あいつをたきつけて謀反を起こさせ、私を攻めさせるつもりだったのだな。」
14「とんでもないことです。あなたのご家来方の中でも、婿殿ダビデ様ほど忠義なお方はほかにおられません。ダビデ様はあなたの護衛隊長であり、王室で最も尊敬を集めているお方ではございませんか。 15私があの方のために神に伺いを立てましたのも、今に始まったことではありません。このことで、私や一族の者が責めを受けるのは合点がまいりません。あなたに対する陰謀などとは全く寝耳に水です。」
16「アヒメレクめ、一族もろとも、いのちはないものと思え！」 17そう言うと、王は護衛兵に命じました。「祭司どもを死罪にせよ！ 彼らはダビデと共謀したのだ。ダビデが私のもとから逃げ出したのを知りながら、知らせて来ようともしなかったのだ。」
しかし護衛兵は、祭司を手にかけるのが怖くて、命令を聞きません。 18それで王はドエグに、「おまえがやれ」と命じました。ドエグは彼らに飛びかかり、全部で八十五人の祭司を血祭りに上げました。全員、祭司の服を着たままでした。 19次にドエグは、祭司の町ノブへ行き、殺された祭司の家族を、男も女も、子どもも赤ん坊も、牛もろばも羊までも、残らず殺してしまいました。
20ところが、アヒメレクの息子エブヤタルだけは難を免れて、ダビデのもとに逃げ延びたのです。 21エブヤタルは、王のしたことをダビデに告げました。 22ダビデは悲痛な声で言いました。「そうでしたか。あそこでドエグを見かけた時、彼は王に告げ口するだろうとにらんでいたのです。それにしても、私がご一族の死を招いたようなものです。 23どうか、ここでいっしょに暮らしてください。いのちに代えてもお守りします。あなたに降りかかる危害は、わが身に降りかかったも同然ですから。」
David at Adullam and Mizpah
1David 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. 2Everyone who was in trouble or owed money or was unhappy gathered around him. He became their commander. About 400 men were with him.
3From there David went to Mizpah in Moab. He spoke to the king of Moab. He said, “Please let my father and mother come and stay with you. Let them stay until I learn what God will do for me.” 4So David left his parents with the king of Moab. They stayed with him as long as David was in his usual place of safety.
5But the prophet Gad spoke to David. He said, “Don’t stay in your usual place of safety. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
Saul Kills the Priests at Nob
6Saul heard that the place where David and his men were hiding had been discovered. Saul was sitting under a tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah. He was holding his spear. All his officials were standing at his side. 7Saul said to them, “Men of Benjamin, listen to me! Do you think Jesse’s son will give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make some of you commanders of thousands of men? Do you think he’ll make the rest of you commanders of hundreds? 8Is that why all of you have joined together against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with Jesse’s son. None of you is concerned about me. No one tells me that my son has stirred up Jesse’s son to hide and wait to attack me. But that’s exactly what’s happening now.”
9Doeg was standing with Saul’s officials. He was from Edom. He said, “I saw Jesse’s son David come to Ahimelek at Nob. Ahimelek is the son of Ahitub. 10Ahimelek asked the Lord a question for David. He also gave him food and the sword of Goliath, the Philistine.”
11Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek, the son of Ahitub. The king also sent for all the men in his family. They were the priests at Nob. All of them came to the king. 12Saul said, “Son of Ahitub, listen to me.”
“Yes, master,” he answered.
13Saul said to him, “Why have you and Jesse’s son joined together against me? Why did you give him bread and a sword? Why did you ask God a question for him? Now he has turned against me. He is hiding and waiting to attack me right now.”
14Ahimelek answered the king, “David is faithful to you. In fact, he’s more faithful to you than anyone else who serves you. He’s your own son-in-law. He’s the captain of your own personal guards. He’s highly respected by everyone in your palace. 15Was that day the first time I asked God a question for him? Of course not! Please don’t bring charges against me. Please don’t bring charges against anyone in my family. I don’t know anything at all about this whole matter.”
16But the king said, “Ahimelek, you will certainly be put to death. You and your whole family will be put to death.”
17Then the king gave an order to the guards at his side. He said, “Go and kill the priests of the Lord. They are on David’s side too. They knew he was running away from me. And they didn’t even tell me.”
But the king’s officials wouldn’t raise a hand to strike down the priests of the Lord.
18Then the king ordered Doeg, “You go and strike down the priests.” So Doeg, the Edomite, went and struck them down. That day he killed 85 priests who wore linen aprons. 19He also killed the people of Nob with his sword. Nob was a town where priests lived. Doeg killed its men and women. He killed its children and babies. He also destroyed its cattle, donkeys and sheep.
20But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelek, escaped. Ahimelek was the son of Ahitub. Abiathar ran away and joined David. 21He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22Then David said to Abiathar, “One day I was at Nob. I saw Doeg, the Edomite, there. I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. Your whole family has been killed. And I’m responsible for it. 23So stay with me. Don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you wants to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”
