1 Samuel 22

The Priests Slain at Nob

1So David departed from there and 1escaped to 2the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down there to him. 2Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who 3was in debt, and everyone who was 4discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were 5about four hundred men with him.

3And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” 4Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 56The prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

6Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now 7Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. 7Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? 8Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who 9discloses to me 10when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you 11who is sorry for me or 12discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day.” 9Then 13Doeg the Edomite, who was 14standing by the servants of Saul, said, “15I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to 16Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 1017He inquired of the Lord for him, 18gave him provisions, and 19gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11Then the king sent someone to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household, the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king. 12Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he 20answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13Saul then said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me 21by lying in ambush as it is this day?”

1422Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king’s son-in-law, who 23is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house? 15Did I just begin 24to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! 25Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing 26at all of this whole affair.” 16But the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!” 17And 27the king said to the 28guards who were attending him, “Turn around and put the priests of the Lord to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not 29reveal it to me.” But the 30servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to 31attack the priests of the Lord. 18Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and 32attack the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and 33attacked the priests, and 34he killed that day eighty-five men 35who wore the linen ephod. 19And 36he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword.

20But 37one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, 38escaped and fled after David. 21Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when 39Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have brought about the death of every person in your father’s household. 23Stay with me; do not be afraid, for 40he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are 41safe with me.”