David at Adullam and Mizpah
1David 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. 2All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.
3From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” 4So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.
5But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
Saul Kills the Priests of Nob
6Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. 7He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8Is that why you have all 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, as he does today.”
9But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob. 10Ahimelek inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”
“Yes, my lord,” he answered.
13Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”
14Ahimelek answered the king, “Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? 15Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”
16But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.”
17Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”
But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.
18The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.
20But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. 21He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. 23Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”
掃羅殘殺祭司
1大衛離開迦特，逃到亞杜蘭洞。他的兄弟和親屬知道後，都來到他那裡， 2所有受壓迫的、負債的和心懷不滿的人都紛紛來投奔他。大衛就做了他們的首領，跟隨他的約有四百人。 3後來，大衛到摩押的米斯巴去，請求摩押王收留他的父母，直到他明白上帝給他的安排為止。 4大衛把父母留在了摩押王那裡。在大衛住堡壘期間，他的父母一直住在摩押。 5迦得先知吩咐大衛離開堡壘回猶大去，大衛就動身前往哈列的樹林。
6當時，掃羅正在基比亞的拉瑪，坐在柳樹下，手中拿著矛，臣僕侍立在左右。他得知大衛一行人的行蹤後， 7就對左右的臣僕說：「便雅憫人啊，你們聽著！難道耶西的兒子會給你們田地和葡萄園嗎？他能立你們做千夫長和百夫長嗎？ 8為什麼你們一同謀害我？我的兒子跟耶西的兒子立約，沒有人告訴我。就是今天我的兒子鼓動我的臣僕來謀害我，也沒有人關心我，告訴我。」 9以東人多益正站在掃羅的臣僕中，他說：「我在挪伯親眼看見耶西的兒子到了亞希突的兒子亞希米勒那裡。 10亞希米勒為他求問耶和華，給他食物，還把非利士人歌利亞的刀給了他。」
11於是，掃羅派人把挪伯的祭司——亞希突的兒子亞希米勒及其家人都召來。他們都來到王面前。 12掃羅說：「亞希突的兒子，聽著！」亞希米勒答道：「我主啊，我在這裡。」 13掃羅說：「你為什麼和耶西的兒子一同謀害我？你為什麼把食物和刀給他，又為他求問耶和華，使他像今天這樣背叛我，伺機害我呢？」 14亞希米勒答道：「王的臣僕中有誰像大衛那樣忠心呢？他是王的女婿，又是王的護衛長，在王室中受尊重。 15那也不是我第一次為他求問耶和華，求王不要因這事加罪於我或我的家人，因為僕人我對這事一無所知。」 16王卻說：「亞希米勒啊，你和你全家都必死無疑！」 17他就命令身旁的護衛，說：「把這些耶和華的祭司殺掉，因為他們跟大衛同謀，明知道大衛在潛逃，卻不來告訴我。」掃羅的臣僕不願意下手殺害耶和華的祭司。 18掃羅就對多益說：「你去把祭司殺掉！」以東人多益就殺了他們。那天，他下手殺了八十五個穿細麻布以弗得的祭司。 19他又把祭司城挪伯的男女老少、牛羊和驢全部用刀殺掉。
20但是，亞希突之子亞希米勒有個兒子亞比亞他逃出去，投奔了大衛。 21亞比亞他把掃羅屠殺耶和華祭司的事告訴了大衛， 22大衛說：「那天我見以東人多益在那裡，就知道他一定會告訴掃羅。是我連累了你父親一家。 23你就放心留在我這裡，不要害怕，想殺你的人，也想要殺我。你在我這裡很安全。」
