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New International Version |   | |
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| | 1Sa 22:1 | 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.
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| | 1Sa 22:2 | All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
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| | 1Sa 22:3 | From 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?"
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| | 1Sa 22:4 | So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.
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| | 1Sa 22:5 | But 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.
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| | 1Sa 22:6 | Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him.
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| | 1Sa 22:7 | Saul 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?
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| | 1Sa 22:8 | Is 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."
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| | 1Sa 22:9 | But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.
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| | 1Sa 22:10 | Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."
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| | 1Sa 22:11 | Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king.
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| | 1Sa 22:12 | Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub." "Yes, my lord," he answered.
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| | 1Sa 22:13 | Saul 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?"
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| | 1Sa 22:14 | Ahimelech 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?
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| | 1Sa 22:15 | Was 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."
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| | 1Sa 22:16 | But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."
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| | 1Sa 22:17 | Then 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 not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.
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| | 1Sa 22:18 | The 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.
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| | 1Sa 22:19 | He 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.
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| | 1Sa 22:20 | But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David.
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| | 1Sa 22:21 | He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.
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| | 1Sa 22:22 | Then 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 father's whole family.
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| | 1Sa 22:23 | Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."
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