1Samuel 22-24 - Prayer Tents

1Samuel 22

David at the Cave of Adullam

22So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there.H1732H3212H4422H4631H5725H251H1H1004H8085H33812Then 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.H376H4689H376H5378H376H4751H5315H6908H8269H702H3967H3763Later 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."H1732H3212H4708H4124H559H4428H4124H1H517H3318H3045H430H62134So David's parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.H5148H6440H4428H4124H3427H3117H1732H46865One day the prophet Gad told David, "Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah." So David went to the forest of Hereth.H5030H1410H559H1732H3427H4686H3212H935H776H3063H1732H3212H935H3293H28026The 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.H7586H8085H1732H3045H582H7586H3427H1390H815H7414H2595H3027H5650H53247"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?

H7586H559H5650H5324H8085H1145H1121H3448H5414H7704H3754H7760H8269H505H8269H39678Is 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!"H7194H1540H241H1121H3772H1121H3448H2470H1540H241H1121H6965H5650H693H31179Then 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.H6030H1673H130H5324H5650H7586H559H7200H1121H3448H935H5011H288H1121H28510Ahimelech consulted the LORD for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."H7592H3068H5414H6720H5414H2719H1555H6430

The Slaughter of the Priests

11King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served as priests at Nob.H4428H7971H7121H288H3548H1121H285H1H1004H3548H5011H935H442812When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, "Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!" "What is it, my king?" Ahimelech asked.H7586H559H8085H1121H285H559H11313"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?"H7586H559H7194H1121H3448H5414H3899H2719H7592H430H6965H693H311714"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!H288H6030H4428H559H539H5650H1732H4428H2860H5493H4928H3513H100415This 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."H3117H2490H7592H430H2486H4428H7760H1697H5650H1004H1H5650H3045H1697H6996H141916"You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!" the king shouted.H4428H559H4191H4191H288H1H100417And 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.H4428H559H7323H5324H5437H4191H3548H3068H3027H1732H3045H1272H1540H241H5650H4428H14H7971H3027H6293H3548H306818Then 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.H4428H559H1673H5437H6293H3548H1673H130H5437H6293H3548H4191H3117H8084H2568H376H5375H906H64619Then 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.H5011H5892H3548H5221H6310H2719H376H802H5768H3243H7794H2543H7716H6310H271920Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David.H259H1121H288H1121H285H8034H54H4422H1272H310H173221When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD,H54H5046H1732H7586H2026H3068H354822David 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.H1732H559H54H3045H3117H1673H130H5046H5046H7586H5437H5315H1H100423Stay 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

1Samuel 23

David Protects the Town of Keilah

23One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.H5046H1732H559H6430H3898H7084H8154H16372David asked the LORD, "Should I go and attack them?" "Yes, go and save Keilah," the LORD told him.H1732H7592H3068H559H3212H5221H6430H3068H559H1732H3212H5221H6430H3467H70843But 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!"H1732H582H559H3373H3063H3212H7084H4634H64304So David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD replied, "Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines."H1732H7592H3068H3254H3068H6030H559H6965H3381H7084H5414H6430H30275So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah.H1732H582H3212H7084H3898H6430H5090H4735H5221H1419H4347H1732H3467H3427H70846Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.H54H1121H288H1272H1732H7084H3381H646H30277Saul 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!"H5046H7586H1732H935H7084H7586H559H430H5234H3027H5462H935H5892H1817H12808So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.H7586H8085H5971H8085H4421H3381H7084H6696H1732H5829But David learned of Saul's plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the LORD what he should do.H1732H3045H7586H2790H7451H559H54H3548H5066H64610Then David prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here.H559H1732H3068H430H3478H5650H8085H8085H7586H1245H935H7084H7843H589211Will 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."H1167H7084H5462H3027H7586H3381H5650H8085H3068H430H3478H5046H5650H3068H559H338112Again David asked, "Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD replied, "Yes, they will betray you."H559H1732H1167H7084H5462H582H3027H7586H3068H559H5462

David Hides in the Wilderness

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.H1732H582H8337H3967H376H6965H3318H7084H1980H834H1980H5046H7586H1732H4422H7084H2308H331814David 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.H1732H3427H4057H4679H3427H2022H4057H2128H7586H1245H3117H430H5414H302715One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him.H1732H7200H7586H3318H1245H5315H1732H4057H2128H279316Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.H3083H7586H1121H6965H3212H1732H2793H2388H3027H43017"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."H559H3372H3027H7586H1H4672H4427H3478H4932H7586H1H304518So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the LORD. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.H8147H3772H1285H6440H3068H1732H3427H2793H3083H1980H100419But 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.H5927H2130H7586H1390H559H1732H5641H4679H2793H1389H2444H3225H345220Come down whenever you're ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!"H4428H3381H185H5315H3381H5462H4428H302721"The LORD bless you," Saul said. "At last someone is concerned about me!H7586H559H1288H3068H255022Go 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.H3212H3559H3045H7200H4725H7272H7200H559H6191H619123Discover 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!"H7200H3045H4224H2244H7725H3559H1980H3426H776H2664H505H306324So 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.H6965H3212H2128H6440H7586H1732H582H4057H4584H6160H3225H345225When 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.H7586H582H3212H1245H5046H1732H3381H5553H3427H4057H4584H7586H8085H7291H310H1732H4057H458426Saul 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,H7586H3212H6654H2022H1732H582H6654H2022H1732H2648H3212H6440H7586H7586H582H5849H1732H582H5849H861027an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.H935H4397H7586H559H4116H3212H6430H6584H77628So 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

.H7586H7725H7291H310H1732H3212H7125H6430H7121H4725H555529

David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.H1732H5927H3427H4679H5872

1Samuel 24

David Spares Saul’s Life

After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi.H7586H7725H310H6430H5046H559H1732H4057H58722So 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.H7586H3947H7969H505H977H376H3478H3212H1245H1732H582H6440H6697H32773At 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!H935H1448H6629H1870H4631H7586H935H5526H7272H1732H582H3427H3411H46314"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.H582H1732H559H3117H3068H559H5414H341H3027H6213H3190H5869H1732H6965H3772H3671H7586H4598H39095But then David's conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul's robe.H310H1732H3820H5221H3772H7586H36716"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."H559H582H3068H2486H6213H1697H113H3068H4899H7971H3027H4899H30687So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way,H1732H8156H582H1697H5414H6965H7586H7586H6965H4631H3212H18708David came out and shouted after him, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.H1732H6965H3318H4631H7121H310H7586H559H113H4428H7586H5027H310H1732H6915H639H776H78129Then he shouted to Saul, "Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you?H1732H559H7586H8085H120H1697H559H1732H1245H745110This 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.'H3117H5869H7200H3068H5414H3117H3027H4631H559H2026H2347H559H7971H3027H113H3068H489911Look, 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.H1H7200H7200H3671H4598H3027H3772H3671H4598H2026H3045H7200H7451H6588H3027H2398H6658H5315H394712"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.H3068H8199H3068H5358H302713As that old proverb says, 'From evil people come evil deeds.' So you can be sure I will never harm you.H559H4912H6931H7562H3318H7563H302714Who 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?H310H4428H3478H3318H310H7291H310H4191H3611H310H259H655015May 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!"H3068H1781H8199H7200H7378H7379H8199H302716When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, "Is that really you, my son David?" Then he began to cry.H1732H3615H1696H1697H7586H7586H559H6963H1121H1732H7586H5375H6963H105817And he said to David, "You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil.H559H1732H6662H1580H2896H1580H745118Yes, 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.H5046H3117H6213H2896H3068H5462H3027H202619Who 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.H376H4672H341H7971H2896H1870H3068H7999H2896H6213H311720And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule.H3045H4427H4427H4467H3478H6965H302721Now swear to me by the LORD that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!"H7650H3068H518H3772H2233H310H8045H8034H1H100422So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold.H1732H7650H7586H7586H3212H1004H1732H582H5927H4686