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.
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
.
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.
And he brought them before
the king
of Moab
: and they dwelt
with him all the while
that David
was in the hold
.
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
.
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;)
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
;
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
?
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
.
And he enquired of the LORD
for him, and gave
him victuals
, and gave
him the sword
of Goliath
the Philistine
.
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
.
And Saul said
, Hear
now, thou son
of Ahitub
. And he answered
, Here I am , my lord
.
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
?
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
?
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
.
And the king said
, Thou shalt surely
die
, Ahimelech
, thou, and all thy father's
house
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
And one of the sons
of Ahimelech
the son
of Ahitub
, named
Abiathar
, escaped
, and fled
after
David
.
And Abiathar shewed
David
that Saul
had slain
the LORD'S
priests
.
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
.
Abide thou with me, fear
not: for he that seeketh
my life
seeketh
thy life
: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard
.