1 Samuel 22
Open in the reader1So Beloved left Wine-Press and took refuge in the cave of Retreat. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.
2And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
3From there Beloved went to Watchtower of From-the-Father, where he said to the king of From-the-Father, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God will do for me.”
4So he left them in the care of the king of From-the-Father, and they stayed with him the whole time Beloved was in the stronghold.
5Then the prophet Fortune said to Beloved, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Praised.” So Beloved left and went to the forest of Hereth.
6Soon Asked-For learned that Beloved and his men had been discovered. At that time Asked-For was sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at The-Hill, with his spear in hand and all his servants standing around him.
7Then Asked-For said to his servants, “Listen, Son of Son-of-the-Right-Hand-One! Is the son of Man-of-He-Who-Is giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds?
8Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Man-of-He-Who-Is. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.”
9But Anxious-One the Red-One, who had stationed himself with Asked-For’s servants, answered: “I saw the son of Man-of-He-Who-Is come to My-Brother-Is-King son of My-Brother-Is-Goodness at Fruit.
10My-Brother-Is-King inquired of He-Who-Is for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Exile the Philistine.”
11Then the king sent messengers to summon My-Brother-Is-King the priest, the son of My-Brother-Is-Goodness, and his father’s whole family, who were priests at Fruit. And all of them came to the king.
12“Listen now, son of My-Brother-Is-Goodness,” said Asked-For. “Here I am, my lord,” he replied.
13And Asked-For asked him, “Why have you and the son of Man-of-He-Who-Is conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him so that he could rise up against me to lie in wait, as he is doing today.”
14My-Brother-Is-King answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as Beloved, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard and honored in your house?
15Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.”
16But the king replied, “You will surely die, My-Brother-Is-King, you and all your father’s house!”
17Then the king ordered the guards at his side, “Turn and kill the priests of He-Who-Is, because they too sided with Beloved. For they knew he was fleeing, but they did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to strike the priests of He-Who-Is.
18So the king ordered Anxious-One, “You turn and strike down the priests!” And Anxious-One the Red-One turned and struck down the priests himself. On that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.
19He also put to the sword Fruit, the city of the priests, with its men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.
20But one of the sons of My-Brother-Is-King son of My-Brother-Is-Goodness escaped. His name was Father-of-Abundance, and he fled to Beloved.
21And Father-of-Abundance told Beloved that Asked-For had killed the priests of He-Who-Is.
22Then Beloved said to Father-of-Abundance, “I knew that Anxious-One the Red-One was there that day, and that he was sure to tell Asked-For. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father’s house.
23Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks your life is seeking mine as well. You will be safe with me.”