1 Samuel 22:23

Updated Bible Version

Abide with me, don't be afraid; for he that seeks my life seeks your life: for with me you shall be in safeguard.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Stay with me. Don’t be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. You will be safe with me.”

Hebrew Names Version
Abide you with me, don't be afraid; for he who seeks my life seeks your life: for with me you shall be in safeguard.

King James Version
Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

Lexham English Bible
Stay with me! Do not fear, because he who seeks my life seeks your life. You are in good care with me."

English Standard Version
Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping."

New Century Version
Stay with me. Don't be afraid. The man who wants to kill you also wants to kill me. You will be safe with me."

New English Translation
Stay with me. Don't be afraid! Whoever seeks my life is seeking your life as well. You are secure with me."

Amplified Bible
"Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, but you are safe with me."

New American Standard Bible
"Stay with me; do not be afraid, even though he who is seeking my life is seeking your life. For you are safe with me."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Abide thou with me, & feare not: for he that seeketh my life, shall seeke thy life also: for with me thou shalt be in safegard.

Legacy Standard Bible
Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are safe with me."

Contemporary English Version
Stay here. Isn't the same person trying to kill both of us? Don't worry! You'll be safe here with me."

Complete Jewish Bible
Stay with me; don't be afraid; because the one who is seeking my life seeks yours too. You'll be safe with me."

Darby Translation
Abide with me, fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks thy life; for with me thou art in safe keeping.

Easy-to-Read Version
Stay with me. Don't be afraid, because the man who tried to kill you is the same man who wants to kill me. I will protect you if you stay with me."

George Lamsa Translation
Abide with me; fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks your life also, but with me you shall be protected.

Good News Translation
Stay with me and don't be afraid. Saul wants to kill both you and me, but you will be safe with me."

Literal Translation
Stay with me. Do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life. For with me you will be under protection.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
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.

American Standard Version
Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: for with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

Bible in Basic English
Keep here with me and have no fear; for he who has designs on my life has designs on yours: but with me you will be safe.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Abyde thou with me, and feare not: For he that seketh my lyfe, he shall seke thine also, with me thou shalt be in safegarde.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life; for with me thou shalt be in safeguard.'

King James Version (1611)
Abide thou with me, feare not: for he that seeketh my life, seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt bee in safegard.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Dwell with me; fear not, for wherever I shall seek a place of safety for my life, I will also seek a place for thy life, for thou art safely guarded while with me.

English Revised Version
Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: for with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

Berean Standard Bible
Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks your life is seeking mine as well. You will be safe with me."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Dwelle thou with me, drede thou not; if ony man sekith thi lijf, he schal seke also my lijf, and thou schalt be kept with me.

Young's Literal Translation
dwell with me; fear not; for he who seeketh my life seeketh thy life; for a charge [art] thou with me.'

Webster's Bible Translation
Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou [shalt be] in safeguard.

World English Bible
Abide you with me, don't be afraid; for he who seeks my life seeks your life: for with me you shall be in safeguard.

New King James Version
Stay with me; do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe."

New Living Translation
Stay 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."

New Life Bible
Stay with me. Do not be afraid. For he who wants to kill me wants to kill you. But you are safe with me."

New Revised Standard
Stay with me, and do not be afraid; for the one who seeks my life seeks your life; you will be safe with me."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Abide with me! do not fear, for, whoso seeketh my life, seeketh thy life, - for, in safeguard, shall thou be, with me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life, seeketh thy life also, and with me thou shalt be saved.

Revised Standard Version
Stay with me, fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks your life; with me you shall be in safekeeping."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are safe with me."

Contextual Overview

²⁰ And 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 slain Yahweh's priests. ²² And David said to Abiathar, I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned [the death] of all the persons of your father's house. ²³ Abide with me, don't be afraid; for he that seeks my life seeks your life: for with me you shall be in safeguard.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he that seeketh: 1 Kings 2:26, Matthew 24:9, John 15:20, John 16:2, John 16:3, Hebrews 12:1-3

but with me: John 10:28-30, John 17:12, John 18:9

Reciprocal: Esther 7:4 - we are sold

Cross-References

Genesis 24:15
And it came to pass, before he had finished speaking, that, look, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.

Genesis 24:24
And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.

Genesis 24:47
And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him. And I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.

Genesis 24:51
Look, Rebekah is before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Yahweh has spoken.

Genesis 24:60
And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, Our sister, be [the mother] of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those that hate them.

Genesis 24:67
And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Genesis 25:20
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife.

Genesis 28:2
Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father. And take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.

Genesis 28:5
And Isaac sent away Jacob. And he went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

Romans 9:10
And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac-

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Abide thou with me, fear not,.... He appeared to be in a fright; which is not to be wondered at, as not knowing what to do, and where to go and provide for his safety; when, to allay his fears, and make him easy, David invites and encourages him to stay with him, and not be afraid of Saul, nor any other:

for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life; or, as Kimchi observes, it may be interpreted, "my life he seeks who seeks thy life"; we are in the same circumstances, and have the same common enemy, and therefore it is best and safest to be together; as the Targum,

"he that seeks to kill me seeks to kill thee;''

and as Jarchi adds, he that loves me will love thee, and he that keeps my life will keep thine:

but with me thou [shalt be] in safeguard; intimating, that he would be as careful of him as of himself; and that for this reason, as Ben Gersom suggests, because he brought the ephod with the Urim and Thummim with him, by which he could inquire of God for him; but this was the thing David was confident of, that God would preserve him, and raise him to the kingdom, and therefore Abiathar might be sure of safety with him: at this time he penned the fifty second psalm, which shows the frame of spirit he was now in; see Psalms 52:1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The characteristic generosity of David’s disposition breaks out in these words. He never forgot a friend. (Compare 2 Samuel 1:26; 2 Samuel 9:1, etc.) David acknowledges that Saul’s enmity against Abiathar is the consequence of his enmity against himself, and therefore David makes common cause with him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 22:23. He that seeketh my life seeketh thy life — The enmity of Saul is directed against thee as well as against me, and thou canst have no safety but in being closely attached to me; and I will defend thee even at the risk of my own life. This he was bound in duty and conscience to do.