1 And David departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brothers and all his fathers house heard it, they went down to him thither.
2 And there gathered themselves unto him every one that was in distress, and every one that had a creditor, and every one that had an embittered spirit; 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, go forth with you, until I can know what God will do for me.
4 And he conducted them to the presence of the king of Moab: and they remained with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Thou must not remain in the stronghold: depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Chereth.
6 And Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, now Saul was sitting in Gibah under the tamarisk on the hill, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;
7 Then said Saul unto his servants that stood about him, Hear, I pray you, men of Benjamin! will the son of Jesse give, indeed, to every one of you fields and vineyards? will he appoint you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds?
8 That ye have conspired, all of you, against me, and there is none that informeth me, while my son hath made a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is concerned for me, or informeth me that my son hath stirred up my servant to lie in wait against me, as it is this day?
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Achimelech the son of Achitub.
10 And he asked counsel for him of the Lord, and he gave him provision, and gave him also the sword of Goliath the philistine.
11 Then sent the king to call Achimelech, the son of Achitub, the priest, and all his fathers 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 Achitub. And he said, here am I, my Lord.
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou didst give him bread, and a sword, and hast asked counsel for him of God, that he should rise to lie in wait against me, as it is this day!
14 Then answered Achimelech the king, and said, And who is among all thy servants so trusted as David, and the kings soninlaw, and freely admitted to thy private council, and is honored in thy house?
15 Did I this day then begin to ask counsel for him of God? far be it from me; let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knew not of all this, either a little or great thing.
16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Achimelech, thou, and all thy fathers house.
17 And the king said unto the runners that stood about him, Turn round and slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he was fleeing, and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not stretch forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou round, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned round, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day eighty and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and lambs, with the edge of the sword.
20 And there escaped one of the sons of Achimelech the son of Achitub, whose name was Ebyathar, and he fled after David.
21 And Ebyathar told David that Saul had slain the priests of the Lord.
22 And David said unto Ebyathar, I knew on that day, because Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have myself occasioned the death of all the persons of thy fathers house.
23 Remain thou with me, fear nothing; for he that will seek my life will seek thy life; but thou shalt be well guarded with me.