1 Samuel 22

1 David went away from there and got clear, and he came to the cave of Adullam. And his brothers heard of it, and his father’s household, and they went down to him there. 2 And everyone in hard straits gathered to him, and everyone in debt, and everyone bitter in soul; and he became their leader. There were about four hundred men with him.

3 From there David went to Mizpah of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you until I know what God will do with me.” 4 And he pleaded before the king of Moab, and they lived with him all the days David was in the stronghold. 5 Then Gad the prophet said to David, “Do not sit still in the stronghold. Go, and you will come into the land of Judah.” So David went, and came and settled in the city of Saric. [a]

6 And Saul heard that David had been found out, and the men with him. Saul was sitting on the hill below the plowed field at Ramah, his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. [b] 7 And Saul said to the servants who stood around him, “Listen now, sons of Benjamin. Will the son of Jesse really give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of hundreds and commanders of thousands? 8 Is that why all of you are in league against me, and there is no one who tells me when my own son made a covenant with the son of Jesse? Not one of you is troubled for me, or tells me that my son has stirred up my slave against me, to be my enemy, as he is this day.”

9 Then Doeg the Syrian, who was set over Saul’s mules, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse when he came to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub the priest, [c] 10 and the priest asked God for him, and gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 So the king sent to call Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all his father’s sons, the priests who were in Nob; and they all came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he said, “Here I am. Speak, my lord.” 13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me — that you gave him bread and a sword, and asked God for him, to set him against me as an enemy, as he is this day?”

14 And he answered the king and said, “And who among all your slaves is faithful like David — the king’s son-in-law, and the officer over everything you order, and honored in your house? [e] 15 Is it today that I have begun to ask God for him? By no means. Let the king not bring a charge against his slave, or against my father’s whole house; for your slave knew nothing at all in any of this, small or great.” 16 And King Saul said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech — you and all your father’s house.”

17 And the king said to the runners who stood over him, “Come forward and put the priests of the Lord to death, because their hand is with David, and because they knew he was running away and did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift their hands to fall on the priests of the Lord. 18 And the king said to Doeg, “You turn, and fall on the priests.” And Doeg the Syrian turned, and he put the priests of the Lord to death that day — three hundred and five men, all of them wearing the ephod. [f] 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, from man to woman, from small child to nursing baby, and calf and donkey and sheep. [g]

20 But one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub got away; his name was Abiathar, and he fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had put to death all the priests of the Lord. 22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day that Doeg the Syrian would certainly report it to Saul. I am to blame for the lives of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me. Do not be afraid, for wherever I look for a place for my life, I will look for a place for your life as well; you are kept safe with me.”