David gathers a band of distressed men at the cave of Adullam. Saul learns that Ahimelech helped David and has Doeg kill eighty-five priests at Nob. Abiathar escapes and joins David.
1 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.
2 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 .
3 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.
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab : and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold .
5 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 .
6 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;)
7 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 ;
8 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 ?
9 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 .
10 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals , 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, thou son of Ahitub . And he answered , Here I am, my lord .
13 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 ?
14 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 ?
15 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 .
16 And the king said , Thou shalt surely die , Ahimelech , thou, and all thy father's house .
17 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 .
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 fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod .
19 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 .
20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub , named Abiathar , escaped , and fled after David .
21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests .
22 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 .
23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life : but with me thou shalt be in safeguard .