1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave
Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
2 And
every one that was in
distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented,
gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were
with him about four hundred men.
3 And
David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my
father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with
you, till I know what God will do for me.
4 And
he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while
that David was in the hold.
5 And
the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee
into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of
Hareth.
6 When
Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with
him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his
hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)
7 Then
Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will
the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make
you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
8 That
all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath
made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or
sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in
wait, as at this day?
9 Then
answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I
saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And
he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, 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 that were in Nob: and they came all of them to
the king.
12 And
Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
13 And
Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of
Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God
for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
14 Then
Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful
among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at
thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
15 Did
I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king
impute any thing
unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy
servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And
the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's
house.
17 And
the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests
of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when
he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put
forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.
18 And
the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the
Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore
and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
19 And
Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and
women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of
the sword.
20 And
one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and
fled after David.
21 And
Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests.
22 And
David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there,
that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of
all the persons of thy father's house.
23 Abide
thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with
me thou shalt be in
safeguard.
