1 Samuel 22 Then David departed thence, and having escaped, he went to the cave Odollam. And when his brethren, and the house of his father heard it, they went down to him there.

Thomson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Then David departed thence, and having escaped, he went to the cave Odollam. And when his brethren, and the house of his father heard it, they went down to him there. ² And every one who was in distress, and every one in debt, and every one aggrieved in mind, collected to him, and he was their leader. So there were with him about four hundred men. ³ And from that place David went to Massephath of Moab, and said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, be with thee, till I know what God will do for me. ⁴ So he conciliated the favour of the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was at that fortress. ⁵ And Gad the prophet said to David, Abide not in this fortress; depart and go to the land of Judea. Thereupon David set out, and came and took up his abode in the city Sarick. ⁶ When Saul heard that David and his men who were with him shewed themselves, [Now Saul had seated himself on the eminence below the cultivated ground at Rama, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants stood around him] ⁷ Saul said to his servants who attended him, Hearken, I pray you, ye sons of Benjamin! Can the son of Jessai really give every one of you fields, and vineyards, and make you all captains of hundreds, and captains of thousands, ⁸ that you all conspire against me; and there is not one who informed me when my son made a league with the son of Jessai; nor one of you who is sorry for me, or informeth me that my son hath stirred up my vassal against me to be my enemy, as is now the case? ⁹ Then Doek the Syrian, who had the care of Saul's asses, answered and said, I saw the son of Jessai coming to Nomba, to Abimelech the son of Achitob, the priest; ¹⁰ and he inquired of God for him, and gave him victuals. He gave him also the sword of Goliath. ¹¹ Upon this the king sent for Abimelech, son of Achitob, and all his father's sons, the priests at Nomba; and when they all came to the king, ¹² Saul said, Hear now thou son of Achitob! And he said, Here I am. Speak, my lord. ¹³ Then Saul said to him, Why hast thou conspired against me, thou and the son of Jessai, that thou shouldst give him bread, and a sword, and consult God for him to make him my enemy, as is now the case? ¹⁴ And Abimelech answered the king and said, Who among all thy servants was like David, in high trust, and the king's son in law, and thy prime minister, and highly honoured in thy house? ¹⁵ Have I now begun to consult God for him? Xo. Let not the king bring a charge against his servant, and against all my father's house. For thy servant knew nothing of all these things, less or more. ¹⁶ Then Saul the king said, Thou shalt surely be put to death, both thou Abimelech, and all the house of thy father. ¹⁷ And the king said to the light infantry who stood before him, Go near and put to death the priests of the Lord, because their hand was with David; and because they knew that he was fleeing, and did not inform me. And when the servants of the king refused to lift their hands against the priests of the Lord, ¹⁸ the king said to Doek, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. Thereupon Doek, the Syrian, turned and slew the priests of the Lord that day, three hundred and five men, all wearing an ephod. ¹⁹ Then he smote Nomba the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, infant and suckling, with the cattle, and the asses, and the sheep. ²⁰ But one son of Abimelech, son of Achitob, escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David. ²¹ And when Abiathar told David that Saul had slain all the priests of the Lord, ²² David said to Abiathar, I might have known that day; that Doek the Syrian; that he would tell Saul; I am answerable for the lives of thy father's household. ²³ Stay with me. Fear not. For wherever I provide a place for my own safety, I will provide also for thy safety; for thou hast been preserved to be with me.