1 David deixou Gate e foi-se esconder na caverna de Adulão, onde aliás em breve se lhe juntaram os irmãos e outros parentes. E mais gente ainda começou a vir ter com ele - pessoas que de alguma maneira se encontravam em apertos, ou endividados, ou revoltados por qualquer coisa - de tal forma que reuniu à sua volta uns quatrocentos homens.
3 Mais tarde David foi a Mizpá, em Moabe, pedir licença ao rei para deixar viver ali seus pais, sob protecção real, até saber o que Deus faria dele. E lá ficaram então todo o período em que David se manteve no seu refúgio fortificado.
5 Um dia, o profeta Gad disse a David para deixar a caverna e voltar para a terra de Judá. David foi pois para a floresta de Herete. Rapidamente a sua chegada a Judá chegou aos ouvidos de Saul, que se encontrava em Gibeá naquela altura, instalado debaixo dum carvalho, jogando com a lança, rodeado da corte.
7 Ouçam-me bem, gente de Benjamim! exclamou o rei quando recebeu a notícia. Será porque David vos prometeu campos, vinhas e postos no exército para toda a gente, será por isso que estão todos contra mim? Porque é que não houve um só sequer de vocês que me tivesse avisado de que o meu próprio filho tinha feito aliança com David! Vocês não têm pena nenhuma de mim! Pensem só no que me acontece: o meu próprio filho encorajando David a vir aqui matar-me!
9 Doegue, o edomita, que ali estava, acompanhando a corte de Saul, pediu para falar: Quando estive em Nobe vi David a conversar com o sacerdote Abimeleque. Este consultou o Senhor sobre o que David havia de fazer e depois deu-lhe alimento, mais a espada de Golias.
11 O rei convocou imediatamente Abimeleque, assim como os outros sacerdotes em Nobe. Quando estes chegaram, Saul gritou: Ouve lá, tu, filho de Aitube!Estou a ouvir, meu senhor!, respondeu Abimeleque a tremer.
13 Porque é que tu e David conspiraram contra mim. Porque lhe deste de comer, mais uma espada, e ainda consultaram Deus a favor dele? Porque é que o encorajaste a revoltar-se contra mim e vir aqui atacar-me?
14 Mas, senhor, haverá entre os vossos servos alguém que vos seja mais fiel do que o vosso genro? Porque razão é ele afinal vosso pajem e dos membros mais honrados da vossa corte? Nem foi esta, com certeza, a primeira vez que consultei o Senhor a favor dele! Não é justo que eu seja acusado, mais a minha família, dessas coisas que ouvi; nós nada sabíamos de semelhante conspiração!
16 Terás de morrer, Abimeleque, tu e toda a tua família!, gritou-lhe o rei. Depois,
17 dirigindo-se aos ajudantes: Matem estes sacerdotes, porque são aliados na conspiração de David; eles bem sabiam que ele andava fugido e nada me disseram! No entanto os soldados recusaram fazer mal aos sacerdotes.
18 Então Saul disse para Doegue: Faz tu isso. Doegue foi para eles e matou-os, oitenta e cinco sacerdotes, no total, todos trazendo as vestimentas sacerdotais.
19 Depois foi a Nobe, à cidade dos sacerdotes, e matou as famílias dos sacerdotes - homens, mulheres, crianças e até bebés; assim como bois, jumentos e cordeiros.
20 Só Abiatar, um dos filhos de Abimeleque conseguiu escapar e fugir para junto de David, e lhe contou o que acontecera. Ao ouvir isto, David exclamou: Eu já estava à espera disto! Quando vi ali Doegue, fiquei logo com a certeza de que Saul havia de ser avisado. Fui eu o culpado da morte de toda a tua família.
23 Fica comigo e proteger-te-ei como à minha própria vida. Só poderão fazer-te mal depois de me tirarem a vida.
1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped, into the cave of Adullam,and, when his brethren and all the household of his father heard it, they went down unto him, thither.
2 And there gathered themselves unto himevery one that was in distress, and every one that had a creditor, and every one embittered in soul, and he came to be over them as a prince,and there were with him, about four hundred men.
3 And David departed thence, to Mizpah of Moab,and said unto the king of Moab, I pray thee, let my father and my mother dwell with you, until that I know what God will do for me.
4 So he set them before the king of Moab,and they dwelt with him, all the days that David was in the fortress.
5 Then said Gad the prophet unto DavidThou must not abide in the fortress, go and get thee into the land of Judah. So David departed, and entered the forest of Hereth.
6 And, when Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with himSaul, being seated in Gibeah under the tamarisk-tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants stationed by him,
7 then said Saul unto his servants who were stationed by himHear, I pray you, ye Benjamites! What! even to all of you, will the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards? All of you, will he appoint to be princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds?
8 That ye have conspired, all of you, against me, and there is none to uncover mine ear as to the covenanting of my son with the son of Jesse? And none from among you that taketh pity upon me, and that uncovereth mine ear ,that, mine own son, hath stirred up, my servants, against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomitehe, being stationed near the servants of Sauland said,I saw the son of Jesse coming into Nob, unto Ahimelech son of Ahitub;
10 Then enquired he for him of Yahweh, Provisions also, gave he unto him,and, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, gave he unto him.
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, the priest, and all the house of his fatherthe priests, who were in Nob,and they came, all of them, unto the king.
12 And Saul said, Hear, I pray thee, thou son of Ahitub! And he saidBehold me! my lord.
13 And Saul said unto him, Wherefore have ye conspired against me, thou, and the son of Jesse,in that thou gavest him bread and a sword, and didst enquire for him of God, that he might rise up against me, that he might lie in wait, as at this day?
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said,But who, among all thy servants, like David, is, faithful, being son-in-law to the king, and, cometh near to have audience with thee, and is, honoured in thy household?
15 Did I, that day, begin to enquire for him of God? Far from me! Let not the king impute to his servant such a thing, nor to any of the household of my father, for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And the king said: Thou shalt, die, Ahimelech,thou and all the household of thy father.
17 And the king said unto the runners that were stationed by himTurn ye round and put to death the priests of Yahweh, because, their hand also, is with David, and because they knew that he was, in flight, and unveiled not mine ear. But the servants of the king were not willing to thrust forth their hand, to fall upon the priests of Yahweh.
18 Then said the king to Doeg, Turn, thou, and fall upon the priests. So Doeg the Edomite turned, and, himself, fell upon the priests, and put to death, that day, four score and five men bearing an ephod of linen;
19 Nob also, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings,and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 But there escaped one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, whose, name, was Abiathar,and he fled after David.
21 So Abiathar told David,that Saul had slain the priests of Yahweh.
22 Then said David to AbiatharI knew, that day, when Doeg the Edomite was, there, that he would, surely tell, Saul. I, am chargeable with all the lives of the house of thy father.
23 Abide with me! do not fear, for, whoso seeketh my life, seeketh thy life,for, in safeguard, shall thou be, with me.