A   Dauid wente fr&obar; thence, ∧ fled vnto the caue of Adullam. Whan his brethren and all his fathers house herde that, they came downe thither vnto him. And there gathered vnto him all men that were in trouble and det, and sory of hert, and he became their heade, so that there were

with him vpon a foure hundreth men.

And Dauid wente from thence towarde Mispa in the londe of the Moabites, and sayde vnto the kynge of the Moabites: Let my father and my mother go out and in amonge you, tyll I se what God wil do with me. And he lefte them before the kynge of þe; Moabites, so that they remayned by him, as longe as Dauid was in the castell. Neuertheles the prophet Gad sayde vnto Dauid: Abyde not in the castell, but go þi; waye, and come in to the londe of Iuda. Then departed Dauid, and came into the wodd of Hareth. And Saul herde that Dauid and the men which were with him, were come forth.

B   Now whyle Saul dwelt at Gibea vnder a groue in Rama, he had a Iauelinge in his hande, and all his seruauntes stode by him. Then sayde Saul vnto his seruauntes that stode by him: Heare ye children of Iemini: Shal the sonne of Isai geue l&obar;des and vynyardes vnto you all, ∧ make you all captaynes ouer thousandes and ouer h&ubar;dreds, that ye haue all conspyred agaynst me, and there is no m&abar; that sheweth it before myne eares, ^note for so moch as my sonne also hath made a couenaunt with the sonne of Isai? There is no man amonge you that letteth it for my sake, or þt; openeth it vnto myne eares: for my sonne hath stered vp my seruauntes against me, that he maye laye wayte for me, as it is manifest.

Then answered Doeg þe; Edomite which stode besyde Sauls seruauntes, and sayde: ^note I sawe the sonne of Isai, that he came vnto Nobe, to Ahimelech þe; sonne of Achitob, which axed councell at the LORDE for him, and gaue him fode, ∧ the swerde of Goliath the Philistyne.

C   Then sent the kynge, and caused to call Ahimelech the prest the sonne of Achitob, and all his fathers house, the prestes that were at Nobe, and they came all to the kynge. And Saul sayde: Heare thou sonne of Achitob. He saide: Here am I my lorde. And Saul sayde vnto him: Wherfore haue ye c&obar;spyred agaynst me, thou ∧ the sonne of Isai, that thou hast geuen him bred and a swerde, and axed councell at God for him, to stere him vp, that he mighte laye awayte for me, as it is manifest?

Ahimelech answered the kynge and saide: And who is amonge all thy seruauntes like Dauid, which is faithfull, and hath maried the kynges doughter, and goeth in thine obedience, ∧ is honorably taken in thine house? Haue I begonne then first this daye to axe councell at God for him? That be farre frome. Let not the kinge laie soch to his serua&ubar;tes charge in all my fathers house: for thy seruaunt knewe not of all these thinges nether small ner greate. Neuertheles the kynge saide: Ahimelech thou must dye þe; death, thou and all thy fathers house. And the kynge sayde to his fote men that stode by him: Turne you, and slaye the prestes of the LORDE, for their hande is with Dauid also.

D   Not withstondinge the kynges seruauntes wolde not not laye their handes vpon þe; prestes of the LORDE, to slaye them. Then saide þe; kynge vnto Doeg: Turne the, and slaye the prestes. ^noteDoeg the Edomite turned him, and slewe the prestes, so that the same daye there dyed fyue and foure score men, which wayre ouerbody cotes of lynnen. And Nob the cite of the prestes smote he with the edge of the swerde, both men and wemen, children and sucklynges, oxen and asses, and shepe.

Neuerthelesse there escaped a sonne of Ahimelech (the sonne of Achitob) whose name was Abiathar, and fled after Dauid, and tolde him, that Saul had slayne þe; prestes of the LORDE. Dauid sayde vnto Abiathar: I knewe well the same daye that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he wolde tell Saul. I am giltye of the soules of thy fathers house. Abyde thou with me, and feare not. He that layeth wayte for my lyfe, shall laye wayte for thyne also, and thou shalt be preserued with me.

Previous section

Next section