1 SamuelChapter 22
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1So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. His brothers and the rest of his father's family heard about it. They went down to him there. 2Everyone who was in trouble, or in debt, or unhappy gathered around him. He became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. 3From there David went to Mizpeh in Moab. He said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and mother stay with you until I find out what God will do for me." 4So he left them with the king of Moab. They stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold. 5Then the prophet Gad said to David, "Don't stay in the stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth. 6Soon Saul heard that David and his men had been found. At that time Saul was sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah. He had his spear in his hand. All his servants were standing around him. 7Saul said to his servants, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you commanders of thousands or hundreds? 8Is that why all of you have plotted against me? Not one of you told me that my own son made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you cares about me. No one told me that my son has stirred up my own servant against me. Now he is hiding and waiting to attack me, as he is doing today." 9But Doeg the Edomite was standing with Saul's servants. He answered, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10Ahimelech asked the LORD what David should do. He gave him food. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." 11Then the king sent messengers to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub. He also called his father's whole family, who were priests at Nob. All of them came to the king. 12"Listen now, son of Ahitub," Saul said. "Yes, my master," he answered. 13Saul asked him, "Why have you and the son of Jesse plotted against me? You gave him bread and a sword. You asked God what he should do. You did this so he could rise up against me. Now he is hiding and waiting to attack me, as he is doing today." 14Ahimelech answered the king, "Who among all your servants is as faithful as David? He is the king's son-in-law. He is the captain of your bodyguard. He is honored in your house. 15Was that the first time I asked God what he should do? Of course not! Don't let the king blame me, your servant, or anyone in my father's family. I, your servant, knew nothing at all about this whole thing." 16But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech! You and your father's whole family will die!" 17Then the king gave an order to the guards next to him. "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD. They are on David's side too. They knew he was running away, but they didn't tell me." But the king's servants refused to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD. 18So the king ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests!" So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19He also attacked Nob, the town of the priests, with the sword. He killed its men and women, children and babies. He killed its oxen, donkeys, and sheep. 20But one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar. He ran away to David. 21Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22Then David said to Abiathar, "That day I knew Doeg the Edomite was there. I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am to blame for the deaths of everyone in your father's family. 23Stay with me. Don't be afraid. The man who wants to kill you wants to kill me too. You'll be safe with me."