1 Samuel
22:1 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.
22:2 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.
22:3 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.
22:4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all
the while that David was in the hold.
22:5 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.
22:6 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;)
22:7 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;
22:8 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?
22:9 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.
22:10 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him
the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
22:11 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.
22:12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am,
my lord.
22:13 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?
22:14 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?
22:15 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.
22:16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy
father's house.
22:17 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.
22:18 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.
22:19 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.
22:20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar,
escaped, and fled after David.
22:21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD's priests.
22:22 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.
22:23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy
life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
