1 Samuel, Chapter 22

1. David therefore departed from there, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.    2. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.    3. And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray you, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.    4. And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.    5. And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not remain in the hold; depart, and go into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.    6. When Saul heard that David had been discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul stayed in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him;)    7. Then Saul said to his servants that stood around him, Hear now, you 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;    8. That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that shows me that my son has made an alliance with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or shows me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?    9. Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.    10. And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.    11. 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.    12. And Saul said, Hear now, you son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.    13. And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?    14. Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king's son in law, and goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house?    15. Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for your servant knew nothing of all this, whether small or great.    16. And the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father's house.    17. And the king said to the footmen that stood around 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 reveal it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.    18. 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 eighty five persons that wore a linen ephod.    19. And Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and donkeys, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.    20. And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled to David.    21. And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests.    22. And David said to 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 your father's house.    23. Stay with me, fear not: for he that seeks my life seeks your life: but with me you shall be kept safe.