 1 David left there and escaped to the cave Adullam. And his brothers and all his father's house heard, and went down to him there. 2 Every man in distress, and every man who had a creditor, and every man bitter of soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And about 400 men were with him. 3 David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab and said to the king of Moab, Please let my father and my mother come forth and be with you until I know what God will do for me. 4 He brought them before the king of Moab. They lived with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5 The prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah. And David left and came into the forest of Hareth. 6 Saul heard that David and the men with him had been discovered. Saul was staying in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree in Ramah with his spear in his hand and all his servants were standing around him. 7 Saul said to his servants standing by him, Now hear Benjamites. Will the son of Jesse give to any of you fields and vineyards and make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 But all of you have conspired against me and none of you revealed in my ear when my son made a covenant with the son of Jesse? Not one of you is sorry for me, even to reveal in my ear that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as today. 9 Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 He asked of the Lord for him and gave him food and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. 11 The king sent for Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests in Nob. Then they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, Hear now you son of Ahitub. He answered, Here I am my lord. 13 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 asked of God for him so that he should rise against me to lie in wait, as at this day? 14 Ahimelech answered the king and said, Who is so faithful among all your servants as David who is the king's son in law and who goes at your bidding and who is honorable in your house? 15 Have I today begun to ask of God for him? Be it far from me. Do not let the king charge a thing to his servant, nor to all the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, more or less. 16 The king said, Ahimelech, you shall surely die, you and all your father's house. 17 The king said to the guard that stood around 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 reveal it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall on the priests of the Lord. 18 The king said to Doeg, you turn and fall on the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and fell on the priests. And on that day he killed 85 persons who wore a linen ephod. 19 He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and babes, and oxen, and donkeys, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. 20 One of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the Lord's priests. 22 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 father's house. 23 Stay with me and do not fear. For the one who seeks my life seeks your life. But you will be in safekeeping with me.
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