1 David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. His brothers and his whole family heard of it and went down to him there.
2 Everyone in trouble, everyone with a creditor, and everyone with a bitter soul gathered around him, and he became their leader; some four hundred men were with him.
3 From there David went to Mizpeh in Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and mother come out and stay with you until I know what God will do for me."
4 He left them with the king of Moab, and they lived with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.
5 The prophet Gad told David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; leave and go into the land of Judah." David left and went into the forest of Hereth.
6 Saul heard that David and the men with him had been found. Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk on the height, spear in hand, with all his servants standing around him.
7 Saul told the servants standing around him, "Hear this, Benjaminites! Is Jesse's son going to give fields and vineyards to all of you too? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
8 Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one let me know when my son made a covenant with Jesse's son; none of you cares about me or lets me know that my son has stirred up my servant to lie in wait against me, as he does today."
9 Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's servants, answered, "I saw Jesse's son come to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub.
10 Ahimelech asked the LORD for him and gave him provisions; he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine too."
11 The king sent for Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king.
12 Saul said, "Listen, son of Ahitub." He said, "Here I am, my lord."
13 Saul said to him, "Why have you and Jesse's son conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and asked God for him, so that he could rise up against me and lie in wait, as he does today."
14 Ahimelech answered the king, "Who among all your servants is as trustworthy as David? He is the king's son-in-law, who has access to your private council, and he is honored in your house.
15 Was it today that I first began to ask God for him? Not at all! Let the king not lay any charge against his servant or against my whole father's house, for your servant knew nothing about all this, little or much."
16 The king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house."
17 The king told the runners standing around him, "Turn and kill the LORD's priests, because their hand too is with David; they knew he was running away and did not let me know." But the king's servants would not lift a hand to strike down the LORD's priests.
18 The king told Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests." Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.
19 Nob, the priests' town, he put to the sword: men and women, children and babies, cattle, donkeys and sheep, all put to the sword.
20 One son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, whose name was Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David.
21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the LORD's priests.
22 David told Abiathar, "I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would be sure to tell Saul. It is I who have brought about the death of every soul in your father's house.
23 Stay with me and do not be afraid. The one who seeks my life seeks yours; you will be under guard with me."