¶ David¹ therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave² Adullam³: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.

And every one that was in distress⁴, and every one that was in debt⁵, and every one that was discontented⁶, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain⁷ over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

And David went thence to Mizpeh⁸ of Moab: and he said unto the king⁹ of Moab, Let my father¹⁰ and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know¹¹ what God will do for me.

And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold¹².

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.

¶ When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree¹⁶ in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)

Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse¹⁷ give¹⁸ every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains¹⁹ of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me²⁰ that my son²¹ 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?

Then answered Doeg²² the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech²³ the son of Ahitub²⁴.

¶ And he enquired²⁵ of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals²⁶, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

Then the king sent to call²⁷ 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.

And Saul said, Hear now, thou son²⁸ of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am,²⁹ my lord.

And Saul said unto him, Why have³⁰ 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?

Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who³¹ is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's³² son in law, and goeth³³ at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?

Did I then³⁴ 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 more³⁶.

And the king said, Thou shalt³⁷ surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and³⁸ all thy father's house.

And the king said unto the footmen³⁹ that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests⁴⁰ 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 not⁴¹ put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

And the king said to Doeg⁴², Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell⁴³ upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore⁴⁴ and five persons that did wear a linen ephod⁴⁵.

And Nob⁴⁶, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men⁴⁷ and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge⁴⁸ of the sword.

¶ And one⁴⁹ of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped⁵⁰, and fled after David.

And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests.

And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned⁵¹ the death of all the persons of thy father's house.

Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh⁵² my life seeketh thy life: but with me⁵³ thou shalt be in safeguard.