So David departed from there and ^aescaped to ^bthe cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard about it, they went down there to him. 2 Then everyone who was in distress, and everyone who ¹was in debt, and everyone who was ²discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were ^aabout four hundred men with him.

3 And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” 4 Then he ¹left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5 But ^aGad the prophet said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; leave, and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went into the forest of Hereth.

6 Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now ^aSaul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing in front of him. 7 Saul said to his servants who were standing in front of him, “Hear now, you Benjaminites! Will the son of Jesse really give all of you fields and vineyards? ^aWill he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who ¹informs me ^awhen my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you ^bwho cares about me or ²informs me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day.” 9 Then ^aDoeg the Edomite, who was ¹standing in front of the servants of Saul, responded and said, “^bI saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to ^cAhimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 And ^ahe inquired of the LORD for him, ^bgave him provisions, and ^cgave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king sent a messenger to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household, the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he ¹replied, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 Saul then said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me ^aby lying in ambush as it is this day?”

14 ^aThen Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s own son-in-law, who ¹is commander over your bodyguard, and is honored in your house? 15 Did I just begin ^ato inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! ^bDo not let the king impute anything against his servant or against any of the household of my father, because your servant knows nothing ¹at all of this whole affair.” 16 But the king said, “You shall certainly die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!” 17 And ^athe king said to the ¹guards who were attending him, “Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not ²inform me.” But the ^bservants of the king were unwilling to reach out with their hands to ³attack the priests of the LORD. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You, turn around and ¹attack the priests!” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and ²attacked the priests, and ^ahe killed on that day eighty-five men ^bwho wore the linen ephod. 19 ^aHe also struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; he also struck oxen, donkeys, and sheep with the edge of the sword.

20 But ^aone son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, ^bescaped and fled ¹to David. 21 Abiathar informed David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when ^aDoeg the Edomite was there, that he would certainly tell Saul. I myself ¹have turned against every person in your father’s household. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, ¹even though ^ahe who is seeking my life is seeking your life. For you are safe with me.”