1 Samuel 22
1 David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s whole family heard about it, they went down there to join him.
2 Everyone in distress, everyone in debt, and everyone embittered gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.
3 From 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.”
4 He left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was at the stronghold.
5 The prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay at the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah.” So David went and came to the forest of Hereth.
6 Saul 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.
7 Saul said to the servants standing around him, “Listen, you Benjamites! 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?
8 For all of you have conspired against me, and no one told me that my son had made an agreement with the son of Jesse. None of you felt sorry for me or told me that my son had stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait for me, as is happening today.”
9 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.
10 He consulted the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 The king sent for Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and all his father’s family, the priests who were at Nob. They all came to the king.
12 Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me—you and the son of Jesse? You gave him bread and a sword, and consulted God for him, so that he would rise up against me and lie in wait for me, as is happening today.”
14 Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, who has access to your personal guard and is honored in your house?
15 Was today the first time I consulted God for him? Far be it from me! Let the king not accuse his servant or anyone in my father’s family of anything, for your servant knew nothing of all this, great or small.”
16 The king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech—you and your father’s whole family.”
17 The king said to the guards standing around him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have joined David. They knew he was fleeing and did not tell me.” But the king’s servants were unwilling to raise their hands against the priests of the LORD.
18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.
19 He struck down Nob, the city of the priests, with the sword: men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep—all with the sword.
20 But one of Ahimelech son of Ahitub’s sons, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David.
21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.
22 David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for every life in your father’s family.
23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for whoever seeks my life seeks yours too. You will be safe with me.”
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