Then David went from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard of it, they went down to him there.

And everyone who was in distress and everyone who was in debt and everyone who was discontented gathered to him, and he became captain over them. And with him were about four hundred men.

And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, Let my father and mother go forth and be with you until I know what God will do for me.

And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they remained with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

And Gad the prophet said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold; depart and go into the land of Judah. So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Then Saul heard that David and the men with him had been discovered. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height; and his spear was in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him.

And Saul said to his servants standing around him, Hear now, you Benjaminites: Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make every one of you captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,

That every one of you has conspired against me, so that no one discloses it to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and none of you is sorry for me or discloses it to me when my son stirs up my servant against me to ambush me as on this day?

Then Doeg the Edomite, who was set over Saul's servants, answered and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub at Nob.

And he inquired of Jehovah for him and gave him provisions, and he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

Then the king sent men to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were in Nob. And all of them came to the king.

And Saul said, Hear now, you son of Ahitub. And he said, Here I am, my lord.

And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him food and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, so that he rises up against me to ambush me as on this day?

And Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law and has access to your council and is honored in your house?

Was it just today that I began to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! May the king not impute anything to his servant nor to all my father's house, for your servant knows nothing of this matter, small or great.

But the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house.

Then the king said to the runners who were standing around him, Turn, and  ¹kill the priests of Jehovah, because their hand is also with David, and because they knew that he was fleeing and they did not disclose it to me. But the king's servants would not put forth their hand to attack the priests of Jehovah.

And the king said to Doeg, You turn, and attack the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests. And on that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.

And he struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, infants and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub escaped, whose name was Abiathar, and he fled after David.

And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the priests of Jehovah.

And David said to Abiathar, I knew on that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for all the lives of your father's house.

Remain with me, and do not be afraid; for he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you will be kept safe with me.

And some told David, saying, The Philistines are now fighting against Keilah and robbing the threshing floors.

And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and strike these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.

And David's men said to him, Here we are, afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines!

So David inquired yet again of Jehovah. And Jehovah answered him and said, Rise up; go down to Keilah, for I have delivered the Philistines into your hand.

Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought against the Philistines and carried off their cattle and struck them down with a great slaughter. And David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

Now it so happened that when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.

Then it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has  ¹delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, because he has entered a city with gates and bars.

And Saul summoned all the people to battle, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

But when David learned that Saul was planning evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.

And David said, O Jehovah the God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah in order to destroy the city on my account.

Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Jehovah the God of Israel, do tell Your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.

And David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver you.

So David and his men, about six hundred men, rose up and went forth from Keilah; and they went about wherever they could. And when it was told Saul that David had slipped away from Keilah, he ceased his going forth.

And David remained in the wilderness in strongholds, and he remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

And David saw that Saul went forth to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

Then Jonathan the son of Saul rose up and went to David at Horesh, and he strengthened his hand in God.

And he said to him, Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you; and you will become king over Israel, and I will be second to you; and even Saul my father knows that.

And the two of them made a covenant before Jehovah. And David remained in Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.

Then some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, David is indeed hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of the desert!

Now then, O king, come down, according to all your soul's desire to come down; and we will deliver him into the hand of the king.

And Saul said, Blessed are you of Jehovah, for you have had compassion on me.

Go now, and make sure once more; and find out and look into his place, where he sets foot, who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning.

And look about and learn of all his hiding places where he lurks, and come back to me with sure information; then I will go with you, and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.

And they rose up and went to Ziph before Saul. And David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of the desert.

And Saul and his men went to seek him. And when some told David this, he went down to the rock and remained in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of it, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

And Saul went on one side of the mountain, while David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men in order to capture them.

Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hurry and come, for the Philistines have raided the land.

So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and he went to meet the Philistines; therefore they call that place the Rock of Escape.

And David went up from there and remained in the strongholds of En-gedi.

And when Saul returned from following the Philistines, some told him, saying, David is now in the wilderness of En-gedi.

And Saul took three thousand choice men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men upon the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

And he came to the sheepfolds along the way, and a cave was there. And Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost part of the cave.

And David's men said to him, The day is here of which Jehovah said to you, I am about to give your enemy into your hand. Do then to him according to what seems good in your sight. So David rose up and cut off a corner of Saul's cloak without being noticed.

But afterward David's heart smote him because he had cut off a corner of Saul's cloak.

And he said to his men,  ¹Jehovah forbid that I should do such a thing to my lord, Jehovah's anointed, as stretch out my hand against him; for he is Jehovah's anointed.

So David checked his men with these words and would not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way.

Then David rose up afterward and came out of the cave. And he called after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and paid him homage.

And David said to Saul, Why do you listen to men's words that say, David now seeks your harm?

Just this day your eyes have seen that Jehovah gave you into my hand today in the cave. And though some told me to kill you,  ¹I spared you and said, I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is Jehovah's anointed.

Now my father, look, indeed, look at the corner of your cloak in my hand; for in that I cut off the corner of your cloak and did not kill you, know and see that there is no harm or transgression in my hand. And though I have not sinned against you, you hunt after my life in order to take it.

May Jehovah judge between me and you, and may Jehovah avenge me of you; but my hand will not be against you.

As the proverb of the ancients says, Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness; but my hand will not be against you.

After whom does the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog; a single flea.

May Jehovah then be Judge and decide between me and you. And may He see and plead my cause and release me through His judgment out of your hand.

And when David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and  ¹wept.

And he said to David, You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me with good, while I have repaid you with evil.

And you have declared today how you did good to me, because Jehovah delivered me up into your hand, but you would not kill me.

For if a man finds his enemy, will he send him away safely? May Jehovah therefore reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.

And now I indeed know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.

Now therefore swear to me by Jehovah that you will not cut off my seed after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house.

So David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his house, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.