David at the Cave of Adullam
1David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down to him there. 2Everyone who was in distress, everyone in debt, and everyone discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. 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 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. 5But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave, and go to the land of Judah.” So David left and went into the forest of Hereth.
Saul Accuses His Servants
6Saul heard that David and the men with him had been located. Now Saul was sitting under the tamarisk tree on the height at Gibeah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing around him. 7Saul said to his servants standing around him, “Listen, you Benjaminites! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all 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 own son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned for me or tells me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait for me, as he does this day.” 9Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s servants, spoke up: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10Ahimelech inquired of Yahweh for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11So the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household, the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” “Here I am, my lord,” he answered. 13Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he could rise up against me and lie in wait for me, as he does this day?” 14Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David — the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, honored in your own house? 15Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let the king not accuse his servant or anyone in my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing at all about this, great or small.” 16But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your whole father’s household.”
The Massacre of the Priests at Nob
17Then the king said to the guards standing near him, “Turn and kill the priests of Yahweh, because they too are siding with David. They knew he was fleeing, but did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not raise a hand to strike down the priests of Yahweh. 18So 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 city of the priests, to the sword — men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep, all to the sword. 20But one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David. 21Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of Yahweh. 22David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of everyone in your father’s household. 23Stay with me. Do not be afraid, for the one who seeks your life seeks mine as well. You will be safe with me.”
