1 Samuel 21

David and the Holy Bread

1 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no one is with you? Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no one is with you?2 So David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you. And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.3 Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.4 And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.5 Then David answered the priest, and said to him, Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day.6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.8 And David said to Ahimelech, Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the kings business required haste.9 So the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here. And David said, There is none like it; give it to me.

David Flees to Gath

10 Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.11 And the servants of Achish said to him, Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands?12 Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.13 So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard.14 Then Achish said to his servants, Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?

1 Samuel 22

Davids Four Hundred Men

1 David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his fathers house heard it, they went down there to him.2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.3 Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.4 So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.5 Now the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah. So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Saul Murders the Priests

6 When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discoverednow Saul was staying in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him7 then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds?8 All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.10 And he inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.11 So the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his fathers house, the priests who were in Nob. And they all came to the king.12 And Saul said, Hear now, son of Ahitub! He answered, Here I am, my lord.13 Then Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?14 So Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, who is the kings son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house?15 Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.16 And the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your fathers house!17 Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me. But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord.18 And the king said to Doeg, You turn and kill the priests! So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod.19 Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheepwith the edge of the sword.20 Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the Lords priests.22 So David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your fathers house.23 Stay with me; do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe.

1 Samuel 23

David Saves the City of Keilah

1 Then they told David, saying, Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors. Then they told David, saying, Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.3 But Davids men said to him, Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?4 Then David inquired of the Lord once again.5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.6 Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.7 And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.8 Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.9 When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.10 Then David said, O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant. And the Lord said, He will come down.12 Then David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver you. 13 So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

David in Wilderness Strongholds

14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.15 So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.16 Then Jonathan, Sauls son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.17 And he said to him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.18 So the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.19 Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the kings hand.21 And Saul said, Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me.22 Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty.23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah.24 So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.25 When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.26 Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them.27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!28 Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape.29 Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at En Gedi.

Community Notes

Show More
View more
My Notes

Create New

No notes found for the verses selected, be the first to create one.
M'Cheyne One Year Reading Plan Info

All plans

»
Today - Day 1
»

Genesis 1

Matthew 1

Ezra 1

Acts 1

Lots of Choices

Hundreds of different reading plans. Pick your favorite or follow several.

Start now

My Reading Plans
Audio Bible (Faith Comes By Hearing)
Verse of the Day

1 Let brotherly love continue.2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:1-2

Like
Report

Title

Scripture reference

Content

Status

Publish on: at

YouVersion

Bible

My

Community

Mobile

1 Samuel 22:1

1 Samuel 21

David and the Holy Bread

David Flees to Gath

1 Samuel 22

Davids Four Hundred Men

Saul Murders the Priests

1 Samuel 23

David Saves the City of Keilah

David in Wilderness Strongholds

Selected

Community Notes

My Notes

M'Cheyne One Year Reading Plan Info

Today - Day 1

Lots of Choices

Audio Bible (Faith Comes By Hearing)

Verse of the Day

Create New Note

Additional content

YouVersion

Bible

My

Community

Mobile

1 Samuel 22:1

1 Samuel 21

David and the Holy Bread

David Flees to Gath

1 Samuel 22

Davids Four Hundred Men

Saul Murders the Priests

1 Samuel 23

David Saves the City of Keilah

David in Wilderness Strongholds

Achi

Achuar

Afrikaans

العربية

Waimaha

Batak Toba

български език

বাংলা

Biatah

Simalungun

Batak Karo

Cebuano

Church Slavonic

česky

Dansk

Deutsch

Dusun

English

Español

Euskara

فارسی

Suomi

Français

Guaraní

Ancient Greek

Hausa

עִבְרִית

Hiligaynon

Hrvatski

Magyar

Hawai`i Pidgin

Հայերեն

Iban

Bahasa Indonesia

Igbo

Italiano

日本語

ភាសាខ្មែរ

한국어

Lahu

Malagasy

te reo Māori

Li Niha

Nederlands

Norsk: nynorsk

Norsk: bokmål

Sotho, Northern

Polski

Penan

Potawatomi

Português

Quichua-Chimborazo

Română

Pyccкий

Toraja

Slovenčina

Shona

Somali

Shqip

српски

Svenska

Kiswahili

ภาษาไทย

Murut Timungon

Tagalog