¹ David therefore departed from there, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.

² And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, resorted to him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.¹²

1. was in debt: Heb. had a creditor
2. discontented: Heb. bitter of soul

³ And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.

⁴ And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the strong hold.

⁵ And the prophet Gad said to David, Abide not in the strong hold; depart, and come into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

⁶ When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)¹

1. tree...: or, grove in a high place

⁷ Then Saul said to his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give each one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

⁸ That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth to me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth to me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?¹

1. sheweth...: Heb. uncovereth mine ear

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 Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

¹⁰ And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

¹¹ Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s 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 Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.¹

1. Here...: Heb. Behold me

¹³ And Saul said to him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

¹⁴ Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, who is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thy house?

¹⁵ Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing to his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.¹

1. less...: Heb. little or great

¹⁶ And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.

¹⁷ And the king said to the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.¹

1. footmen: or, guard: Heb. runners

¹⁸ And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day eighty and five persons that wore 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 donkeys, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

²⁰ And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

²¹ And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the LORD’S priests.

²² And David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.

²³ Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.