1 Samuel 22

VIN(i) 1 David went from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father's household heard, they came down to him there. 2 Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt and everyone who was discontented gathered themselves to him and he became their captain. About four hundred men were with him. 3 David went from there to Mizpah in Moab. 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 David left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time David was in the stronghold. 5 And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah. And David left and came into the forest of Hareth. 6 Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree in Ramah with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7 Saul said to them, Listen now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give each of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? 8 Is that why all of you have conspired against me so that there is no-one who tells me when my son makes a treaty with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me or tells me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as he does today? 9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, said: I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." 11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub's and his entire family who were the priests in Nob. All of them came to the king. 12 Saul said: "Listen here, son of Ahitub!" He responded: "Here I am lord." 13 Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as he does today? 14 Ahimelech answered the king, "Who among all your officials is as faithful as David? He is the king's son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard, and he's honored in your household. 15 Is this the first time I have inquired of God for him? Be it far from me! Don't let the king accuse his servant or any of the house of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of all this. 16 And the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's house. 17 The king said to the guards who stood around him, Turn and kill the priests of the LORD because they have sided with David, and because they knew that he fled, and didn't tell me. But the servants of the king wouldn't put forth their hand to strike the priests of the LORD. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and attack the priests." Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests. That day he killed eighty-five men who carry the linen ephod. 19 He also killed the people of Nob, the city of the priests. Using his sword, he killed men and women, children and infants, cows, donkeys, and sheep. 20 One man, Ahimelech's son Abiathar, a grandson of Ahitub, escaped and fled to David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would certainly tell Saul! I'm responsible for the deaths of your father's whole family. 23 Stay with me. Don't be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. For you will be safe with me.”