Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 135
1S
| 21:12–22:13
S am u el – K I N G S
123
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’?”
David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of
Gath might do to him. So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors
and drooling down his beard.
Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman?
We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone
like this be my guest?”
So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers
and all his other relatives joined him there. Then 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.
Later 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.” So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king
during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.
One day the prophet Gad told David, “Leave the stronghold and return
to the land of Judah.” So David went to the forest of Hereth.
The 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.
“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? Is 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 s on—encouraging him to kill
me, as he is trying to do this very day!”
Then 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. Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him.
Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served
as priests at Nob. When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, “Listen to me,
you son of Ahitub!”
“What is it, my king?” Ahimelech asked.
“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