1 ¶ David then left that place, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brothers and his father’s family heard about it, they went down there to him.

2 And every one who was in distress, in debt, or discontented, gathered themselves around him; and he became a commander over them: and there were about four hundred men with him.

3 And David went from there to Mizpeh in Moab: and he said to the king of Moab, Please allow my father and my mother to come, and live among you, until I know what God will do for me.

4 And he left them with the king of Moab: and they stayed with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.

5 Then the prophet Gad said to David, Do not remain in the stronghold; leave, and go into the land of Judah. Then David left, and went to the forest of Hareth.

6 ¶ When Saul heard that David, and the men that were with him, had been located, Saul was sitting in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree on the height, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him;

7 Then Saul said to his servants who were standing around him, Listen now, you Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give each one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all commanders over hundreds, and thousands;

8 That all of you have conspired against me? No one informs me that my son has made a deal with the son of Jesse, no one cares enough about me to let me know that my son has incited my servant against me, to lie in ambush for me, as is the case today?

9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood with the servants of Saul, said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

10 And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

11 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob: and all of them came to the king.

12 And Saul said, Listen now, you son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

13 And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, by giving him bread, and a sword, and inquiring of God for him, so he could rise against me, to lie in ambush for me, as is the case today?

14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king’s son in law, and does your bidding, and is honored in your house?

15 Have I only begun to inquire of God for him? not at all: let not the king impute any wrong to his servant, or to any in the house of my father: for your servant did not know anything about this, little or much.

16 And the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father’s house.

17 And the king said to the infantrymen who 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 disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not raise a hand against the priests of the LORD.

18 And the king said to Doeg, You turn, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and fell upon the priests, and on that day killed eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod.

19 He also put Nob, the city of the priests, to the sword, killing both men and women, children and infants, and oxen, donkeys, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

20 ¶ But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled to David.

21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the LORD’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 members of your father’s house.

23 Remain with me, and do not be afraid: for he who seeks my life seeks your life: but with me you shall be safeguarded.