22
1 David
therefore departed
from there and
escaped to
Adullam’s cave.
When his brothers
and all
his father’s house
heard it, they
went down there
to him.
2 Everyone
who was in
distress, everyone
who was in
debt, and everyone
who was
discontented gathered
themselves to him;
and he became
captain over them.
There were with
him about four
hundred men.
3 David
went from there
to Mizpeh of
Moab; and he
said to the
king of Moab, “Please
let my father and
my mother come out
to you, until
I know what God
will do for
me.”
4 He
brought them
before the king
of Moab; and
they lived with
him all the
time that David
was in the
stronghold.
5 The
prophet Gad said
to David, “Don’t
stay in the
stronghold. Depart,
and go into
the land of Judah.”
Then David
departed, and came
into the forest
of Hereth.
6 Saul
heard that David
was discovered,
with the men
who were with
him. Now Saul
was sitting 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 who stood
around him, “Hear
now, you Benjamites!
Will the son
of Jesse give
everyone of you
fields and
vineyards? Will he
make you all
captains of thousands
and captains of
hundreds?
8 Is
that why all
of you have
conspired against
me, and there
is no one
who discloses to
me when my
son makes a treaty
with the son
of Jesse, and
there is none
of you who
is sorry for
me, or discloses
to me that
my son has
stirred up my
servant against me,
to lie in wait, as
it is today?”
9 Then
Doeg the Edomite,
who stood by
the servants of
Saul, answered and
said, “I saw
the son of
Jesse coming to
Nob, to Ahimelech
the son of Ahitub.
10 He
inquired of the
LORD for him,
gave him food,
and gave him
the sword of
Goliath the
Philistine.”
11 Then
the king sent
to call Ahimelech
the priest, the
son of Ahitub, and
all his father’s
house, the priests
who were in
Nob; and 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 inquired
of God for
him, that he
should rise
against me, to
lie in wait, as
it is today?”
14 Then Ahimelech answered
the king, and
said, “Who among
all your servants
is so faithful as
David, who is
the king’s
son-in-law, captain of
your body guard,
and honored in
your house?
15 Have
I today begun
to inquire of
God for him?
Be it far
from me! Don’t let
the king impute
anything to his
servant, nor to
all the house
of my father; for
your servant knew
nothing of all
this, less or
more.”
16 The
king said, “You
shall surely die,
Ahimelech, you and
all your father’s
house.”
17 The
king said to the
guard who stood
about him, “Turn
and kill the
priests of the
LORD, because
their hand also
is with David,
and because they
knew that he
fled and didn’t
disclose it to
me.” But the
servants of the
king wouldn’t put
out their hand
to fall on
the priests of
the LORD.
18 The
king said to Doeg,
“Turn and attack
the priests!”
Doeg the Edomite
turned, and he
attacked the
priests, and he
killed on that
day eighty-five
people 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
nursing babies, and
cattle, 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 on that
day, when Doeg
the Edomite was
there, that he
would surely tell
Saul. I am responsible
for the death
of all the
persons of
your father’s house.
23 Stay
with me. Don’t be
afraid, for he
who seeks my
life seeks your
life. You will
be safe with
me.”