21David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. "Why are you alone?" he asked. "Why is no one with you?"H935H1732H5011H288H3548H288H2729H7125H1732H559H376 2"The king has sent me on a private matter," David said. "He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later.H1732H559H288H3548H4428H6680H1697H559H376H3045H3972H1697H7971H6680H3045H5288H6423H492H4725 3Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have."H3426H3027H5414H2568H3899H3027H4672 4"We don't have any regular bread," the priest replied. "But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently."H3548H6030H1732H559H2455H3899H3027H3426H6944H3899H5288H8104H389H802 5"Don't worry," David replied. "I never allow my men to be with women when they are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!"H1732H6030H3548H559H518H802H6113H8032H8543H3318H3627H5288H6944H1870H2455H6942H3117H3627 6Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the LORD in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.H3548H5414H6944H3899H3899H6440H5493H6440H3068H7760H2527H3899H3117H3947 7Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the LORD.H376H5650H7586H3117H6113H6440H3068H8034H1673H130H47H7462H7586 8David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword? The king's business was so urgent that I didn't even have time to grab a weapon!"H1732H559H288H3426H371H3027H2595H2719H3947H2719H3627H3027H4428H1697H1961H5169 9"I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah," the priest replied. "It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here." "There is nothing like it!" David replied. "Give it to me!"H3548H559H2719H1555H6430H5221H6010H425H3874H8071H310H646H3947H3947H312H2108H2088H1732H559H5414 10So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath.H1732H6965H1272H3117H6440H7586H935H397H4428H1661 11But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. "Isn't this David, the king of the land?" they asked. "Isn't he the one the people honor with dances, singing, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"H5650H397H559H1732H4428H776H6030H2088H4246H559H7586H5221H505H1732H7233 12David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him.H1732H7760H1697H3824H3966H3372H6440H397H4428H1661 13So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.H8138H2940H5869H1984H3027H8427H1817H8179H7388H3381H2206 14Finally, King Achish said to his men, "Must you bring me a madman?H559H397H5650H7200H376H7696H935 15We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?"H2638H7696H935H7696H935H1004
22So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there.H1732H3212H4422H4631H5725H251H1H1004H8085H3381 2Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men.H376H4689H376H5378H376H4751H5315H6908H8269H702H3967H376 3Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, "Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me."H1732H3212H4708H4124H559H4428H4124H1H517H3318H3045H430H6213 4So David's parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.H5148H6440H4428H4124H3427H3117H1732H4686 5One day the prophet Gad told David, "Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah." So David went to the forest of Hereth.H5030H1410H559H1732H3427H4686H3212H935H776H3063H1732H3212H935H3293H2802 6The news of his arrival in Judah soon reached Saul. At the time, the king was sitting beneath the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, holding his spear and surrounded by his officers.H7586H8085H1732H3045H582H7586H3427H1390H815H7414H2595H3027H5650H5324 7"Listen here, you men of Benjamin!" Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news. "Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army?H7586H559H5650H5324H8085H1145H1121H3448H5414H7704H3754H7760H8269H505H8269H3967 8Is that why you have conspired against me? For not one of you told me when my own son made a solemn pact with the son of Jesse. You're not even sorry for me. Think of it! My own son—encouraging him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day!"H7194H1540H241H1121H3772H1121H3448H2470H1540H241H1121H6965H5650H693H3117 9Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul's men, spoke up. "When I was at Nob," he said, "I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub.H6030H1673H130H5324H5650H7586H559H7200H1121H3448H935H5011H288H1121H285 10Ahimelech consulted the LORD for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."H7592H3068H5414H6720H5414H2719H1555H6430 11King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served as priests at Nob.H4428H7971H7121H288H3548H1121H285H1H1004H3548H5011H935H4428 12When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, "Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!" "What is it, my king?" Ahimelech asked.H7586H559H8085H1121H285H559H113 13"Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?" Saul demanded. "Why did you give him food and a sword? Why have you consulted God for him? Why have you encouraged him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day?"H7586H559H7194H1121H3448H5414H3899H2719H7592H430H6965H693H3117 14"But sir," Ahimelech replied, "is anyone among all your servants as faithful as David, your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your household!H288H6030H4428H559H539H5650H1732H4428H2860H5493H4928H3513H1004 15This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you."H3117H2490H7592H430H2486H4428H7760H1697H5650H1004H1H5650H3045H1697H6996H1419 16"You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!" the king shouted.H4428H559H4191H4191H288H1H1004 17And he ordered his bodyguards, "Kill these priests of the LORD, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn't tell me!" But Saul's men refused to kill the LORD's priests.H4428H559H7323H5324H5437H4191H3548H3068H3027H1732H3045H1272H1540H241H5650H4428H14H7971H3027H6293H3548H3068 18Then the king said to Doeg, "You do it." So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments.H4428H559H1673H5437H6293H3548H1673H130H5437H6293H3548H4191H3117H8084H2568H376H5375H906H646 19Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests' families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.H5011H5892H3548H5221H6310H2719H376H802H5768H3243H7794H2543H7716H6310H2719 20Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David.H259H1121H288H1121H285H8034H54H4422H1272H310H1732 21When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD,H54H5046H1732H7586H2026H3068H3548 22David exclaimed, "I knew it! When I saw Doeg the Edomite there that day, I knew he was sure to tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all your father's family.H1732H559H54H3045H3117H1673H130H5046H5046H7586H5437H5315H1H1004 23Stay here with me, and don't be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both."H3427H3372H1245H5315H1245H5315H4931
23One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.H5046H1732H559H6430H3898H7084H8154H1637 2David asked the LORD, "Should I go and attack them?" "Yes, go and save Keilah," the LORD told him.H1732H7592H3068H559H3212H5221H6430H3068H559H1732H3212H5221H6430H3467H7084 3But David's men said, "We're afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don't want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!"H1732H582H559H3373H3063H3212H7084H4634H6430 4So David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD replied, "Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines."H1732H7592H3068H3254H3068H6030H559H6965H3381H7084H5414H6430H3027 5So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah.H1732H582H3212H7084H3898H6430H5090H4735H5221H1419H4347H1732H3467H3427H7084 6Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.H54H1121H288H1272H1732H7084H3381H646H3027 7Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. "Good!" he exclaimed. "We've got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!"H5046H7586H1732H935H7084H7586H559H430H5234H3027H5462H935H5892H1817H1280 8So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.H7586H8085H5971H8085H4421H3381H7084H6696H1732H582 9But David learned of Saul's plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the LORD what he should do.H1732H3045H7586H2790H7451H559H54H3548H5066H646 10Then David prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here.H559H1732H3068H430H3478H5650H8085H8085H7586H1245H935H7084H7843H5892 11Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell me." And the LORD said, "He will come."H1167H7084H5462H3027H7586H3381H5650H8085H3068H430H3478H5046H5650H3068H559H3381 12Again David asked, "Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD replied, "Yes, they will betray you."H559H1732H1167H7084H5462H582H3027H7586H3068H559H5462 13So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn't go to Keilah after all.H1732H582H8337H3967H376H6965H3318H7084H1980H834H1980H5046H7586H1732H4422H7084H2308H3318 14David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn't let Saul find him.H1732H3427H4057H4679H3427H2022H4057H2128H7586H1245H3117H430H5414H3027 15One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him.H1732H7200H7586H3318H1245H5315H1732H4057H2128H2793 16Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.H3083H7586H1121H6965H3212H1732H2793H2388H3027H430 17"Don't be afraid," Jonathan reassured him. "My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware."H559H3372H3027H7586H1H4672H4427H3478H4932H7586H1H3045 18So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the LORD. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.H8147H3772H1285H6440H3068H1732H3427H2793H3083H1980H1004 19But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. "We know where David is hiding," they said. "He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern part of Jeshimon.H5927H2130H7586H1390H559H1732H5641H4679H2793H1389H2444H3225H3452 20Come down whenever you're ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!"H4428H3381H185H5315H3381H5462H4428H3027 21"The LORD bless you," Saul said. "At last someone is concerned about me!H7586H559H1288H3068H2550 22Go and check again to be sure of where he is staying and who has seen him there, for I know that he is very crafty.H3212H3559H3045H7200H4725H7272H7200H559H6191H6191 23Discover his hiding places, and come back when you are sure. Then I'll go with you. And if he is in the area at all, I'll track him down, even if I have to search every hiding place in Judah!"H7200H3045H4224H2244H7725H3559H1980H3426H776H2664H505H3063 24So the men of Ziph returned home ahead of Saul. Meanwhile, David and his men had moved into the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah Valley south of Jeshimon.H6965H3212H2128H6440H7586H1732H582H4057H4584H6160H3225H3452 25When David heard that Saul and his men were searching for him, he went even farther into the wilderness to the great rock, and he remained there in the wilderness of Maon. But Saul kept after him in the wilderness.H7586H582H3212H1245H5046H1732H3381H5553H3427H4057H4584H7586H8085H7291H310H1732H4057H4584 26Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men,H7586H3212H6654H2022H1732H582H6654H2022H1732H2648H3212H6440H7586H7586H582H5849H1732H582H5849H8610 27an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.H935H4397H7586H559H4116H3212H6430H6584H776 28So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape.H7586H7725H7291H310H1732H3212H7125H6430H7121H4725H5555 29David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.H1732H5927H3427H4679H5872
24After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi.H7586H7725H310H6430H5046H559H1732H4057H5872 2So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.H7586H3947H7969H505H977H376H3478H3212H1245H1732H582H6440H6697H3277 3At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!H935H1448H6629H1870H4631H7586H935H5526H7272H1732H582H3427H3411H4631 4"Now's your opportunity!" David's men whispered to him. "Today the LORD is telling you, 'I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.'" So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul's robe.H582H1732H559H3117H3068H559H5414H341H3027H6213H3190H5869H1732H6965H3772H3671H7586H4598H3909 5But then David's conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul's robe.H310H1732H3820H5221H3772H7586H3671 6"The LORD knows I shouldn't have done that to my lord the king," he said to his men. "The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD's anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him."H559H582H3068H2486H6213H1697H113H3068H4899H7971H3027H4899H3068 7So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way,H1732H8156H582H1697H5414H6965H7586H7586H6965H4631H3212H1870 8David came out and shouted after him, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.H1732H6965H3318H4631H7121H310H7586H559H113H4428H7586H5027H310H1732H6915H639H776H7812 9Then he shouted to Saul, "Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you?H1732H559H7586H8085H120H1697H559H1732H1245H7451 10This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn't true. For the LORD placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, 'I will never harm the king—he is the LORD's anointed one.'H3117H5869H7200H3068H5414H3117H3027H4631H559H2026H2347H559H7971H3027H113H3068H4899 11Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn't kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.H1H7200H7200H3671H4598H3027H3772H3671H4598H2026H3045H7200H7451H6588H3027H2398H6658H5315H3947 12"May the LORD judge between us. Perhaps the LORD will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you.H3068H8199H3068H5358H3027 13As that old proverb says, 'From evil people come evil deeds.' So you can be sure I will never harm you.H559H4912H6931H7562H3318H7563H3027 14Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea?H310H4428H3478H3318H310H7291H310H4191H3611H310H259H6550 15May the LORD therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!"H3068H1781H8199H7200H7378H7379H8199H3027 16When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, "Is that really you, my son David?" Then he began to cry.H1732H3615H1696H1697H7586H7586H559H6963H1121H1732H7586H5375H6963H1058 17And he said to David, "You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil.H559H1732H6662H1580H2896H1580H7451 18Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the LORD put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn't do it.H5046H3117H6213H2896H3068H5462H3027H2026 19Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the LORD reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today.H376H4672H341H7971H2896H1870H3068H7999H2896H6213H3117 20And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule.H3045H4427H4427H4467H3478H6965H3027 21Now swear to me by the LORD that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!"H7650H3068H518H3772H2233H310H8045H8034H1H1004 22So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold.H1732H7650H7586H7586H3212H1004H1732H582H5927H4686
84[For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.] How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H5329H1665H4210H1121H7141H3039H4908H3068H6635 2I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.H5315H3700H3615H2691H3068H3820H1320H7442H2416H410 3Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!H6833H4672H1004H1866H7064H7896H667H4196H3068H6635H4428H430 4What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. InterludeH835H3427H1004H1984H5542 5What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.H835H120H5797H3824H4546 6When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.H5674H6010H1056H1057H7896H4599H4175H5844H1293 7They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.H3212H2428H2428H6726H7200H430 8O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. InterludeH3068H430H6635H8085H8605H238H430H3290H5542 9O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield! Show favor to the one you have anointed.H7200H430H4043H5027H6440H4899 10A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.H3117H2691H2896H505H977H5605H1004H430H1752H168H7562 11For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.H3068H430H8121H4043H3068H5414H2580H3519H2896H4513H1980H8549 12O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.H3068H6635H835H120H982
Unknown
David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. "Why are you alone?" he asked. "Why is no one with you?"H935
