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.”
扫罗残杀祭司
1大卫离开迦特，逃到亚杜兰洞。他的兄弟和亲属知道后，都来到他那里， 2所有受压迫的、负债的和心怀不满的人都纷纷来投奔他。大卫就做了他们的首领，跟随他的有四百多人。 3后来，大卫到摩押的米斯巴去，请求摩押王收留他的父母，直到他明白上帝给他的安排为止。 4大卫把父母留在了摩押王那里。在大卫住堡垒期间，他的父母一直住在摩押。 5迦得先知吩咐大卫离开堡垒回犹大去，大卫就动身前往哈列的树林。
6当时，扫罗正在基比亚的拉玛，坐在垂丝柳下，手中拿着矛，臣仆侍立在左右。他得知大卫一行人的行踪后， 7就对左右的臣仆说：“便雅悯人啊，你们听着！难道耶西的儿子会给你们田地和葡萄园吗？他能立你们做千夫长和百夫长吗？ 8为什么你们一同谋害我？我的儿子跟耶西的儿子立约，没有人告诉我。就是今天我的儿子鼓动我的臣仆来谋害我，也没有人关心我，告诉我。” 9以东人多益正站在扫罗的臣仆中，他说：“我在挪伯亲眼看见耶西的儿子到了亚希突的儿子亚希米勒那里。 10亚希米勒为他求问耶和华，给他食物，还把非利士人歌利亚的刀给了他。”
11于是，扫罗派人把挪伯的祭司——亚希突的儿子亚希米勒及其家人都召来。他们都来到王面前。 12扫罗说：“亚希突的儿子，听着！”亚希米勒答道：“我主啊，我在这里。” 13扫罗说：“你为什么和耶西的儿子一同谋害我？你为什么把食物和刀给他，又为他求问耶和华，使他像今天这样背叛我，伺机害我呢？” 14亚希米勒答道：“王的臣仆中有谁像大卫那样忠心呢？他是王的女婿，又是王的护卫长，在王室中受尊重。 15那也不是我第一次为他求问耶和华，求王不要因这事加罪于我或我的家人，因为我根本不知道谋反的事。” 16王却说：“亚希米勒啊，你和你全家都必死无疑！” 17他就命令身旁的护卫，说：“把这些耶和华的祭司杀掉，因为他们跟大卫同谋，明知道大卫在潜逃，却不来告诉我。”扫罗的臣仆不愿意下手杀害耶和华的祭司。 18扫罗就对多益说：“你去把祭司杀掉！”以东人多益就杀了他们。那天，他下手杀了八十五个穿细麻布以弗得的祭司。 19他又把祭司城挪伯的男女老少、牛羊和驴全部杀掉。
20只有亚希米勒的一个儿子亚比亚他逃出去，投奔了大卫。 21亚比亚他把扫罗屠杀耶和华祭司的事告诉了大卫， 22大卫说：“那天我见以东人多益在那里，就知道他一定会告诉扫罗。是我连累了你父亲一家。 23你就放心留在我这里，不要害怕，谁想杀你，就是想杀我。你在我这里很安全。”
