So David departed
from there
and aescaped
to bthe cave
of Adullam
; and when his brothers
and all
his father's
household
heard
of it, they went
down
there
to him.
Everyone who was in distress
, and everyone
who
1was in debt
, and everyone
who was 2discontented
gathered
to him; and he became
captain
over
them. Now there were aabout four
hundred
men
with him.
And 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."
Then he left them with the king
of Moab
; and they stayed
with him all
the time
that David
was in the stronghold
.
aThe 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
.
Then Saul heard
that David
and the men
who
were with him had been discovered
. Now aSaul
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.
Saul 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
? aWill he make
you all
commanders
of thousands
and commanders
of hundreds
?
"For all of you have conspired
against
me so that there
is no
one
who 1discloses
to me awhen my son
makes
a covenant with the son
of Jesse
, and there
is none
of you bwho is sorry
for me or 1discloses
to me that my son
has stirred
up my servant
against
me to lie
in ambush
, as it is this
day
."
Then aDoeg the Edomite
, who
was 1standing
by the servants
of Saul
, said
, " bI saw
the son
of Jesse
coming
to Nob
, to cAhimelech
the son
of Ahitub
.
" aHe inquired of the LORD
for him, bgave
him provisions
, and cgave
him the sword
of Goliath
the Philistine
."
Then 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
.
Saul said
, "Listen
now
, son
of Ahitub
." And he 1answered
, "Here
I am, my lord
."
Saul 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 aby lying
in ambush
as it is this
day
?"
aThen 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 1is captain over
your guard
, and is honored
in your house
?
"Did I just begin ato inquire
of God
for him today
? Far
be it from me! bDo not let the king
impute
anything
to his servant
or to any
of the household
of my father
, for your servant
knows
nothing
1at all
of this
whole
affair
."
But the king said
, "You shall surely
die
, Ahimelech
, you and all
your father's
household
!"
And athe king said
to the 1guards
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 2reveal
it to me." But the bservants
of the king
were not willing
to put
forth
their hands
to 3attack
the priests
of the LORD
.
Then the king said
to Doeg
, "You turn
around
and 1attack
the priests
." And Doeg
the Edomite
turned
around
and 2attacked
the priests
, and ahe killed
that day
eighty-five
men
bwho wore
the linen
ephod
.
And ahe 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
.
But aone son
of Ahimelech
the son
of Ahitub
, named
Abiathar
, bescaped
and fled
after
David
.
Abiathar told
David
that Saul
had killed
the priests
of the LORD
.
Then David said
to Abiathar
, "I knew
on that day
, when
aDoeg
the Edomite
was there
, that he would surely
tell
Saul
. I have brought
about
the death of every
person
in your father's
household
.
"Stay with me; do not be afraid
, for ahe who
seeks
my life
seeks
your life
, for you are 1safe
with me."