1 Samuel 22

1David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s family heard about it, they went down to him there.

2Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in spirit gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

3From there David went to Mizpeh in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.”

4So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

5Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

6Saul heard that David and the men with him had been discovered. Saul was sitting at 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 standing around him, “Listen, you Benjaminites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make every one of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

8Is that why all of you have conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has stirred up my servant to lie in wait against me, as he is doing today.”

9Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s servants, answered, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub.

10Ahimelech inquired of Yahweh for him and gave him provisions, and he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11Then the king sent for Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and all his father’s family, the priests who were at Nob, and they all came to the king.

12Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

13Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me to lie in wait, as he is doing today.”

14Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David? He is the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your house.

15Was that the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let the king not accuse his servant or anyone in my father’s family, for your servant knew nothing at all about this, great or small.”

16But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s family.”

17Then the king said to the guards standing around him, “Turn and kill the priests of Yahweh, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, and they did not tell me.” But the king’s servants were unwilling to lift a hand to strike down the priests of Yahweh.

18Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.

19He also put Nob, the town of the priests, to the sword: men and women, children and infants, cattle, donkeys, and sheep, he put to the sword.

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

21Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of Yahweh.

22David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of every person in your father’s family.

23Stay with me; do not be afraid. The one who seeks my life seeks your life too. You will be safe with me.”