1 Samuel 22

David at the cave of Adullam

¹David left that place and got away to the cave of Adullam. His brothers and his father’s whole family heard about it, and they went down to join him there. ²Men who were in trouble, men who owed money, and men who were bitter about their lot all came to join him, and he became their commander. There were about four hundred men with him. ³From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Please allow my father and mother to come out and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” ⁴So he took them to the king of Moab, and they lived with him for as long as David was in the stronghold.

⁵Then Gad the prophet told David, “Do not remain in the stronghold. Leave, and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and came to the forest of Hereth.

Saul kills the priests of Nob

⁶Saul heard that David and the men with him had been found. Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height, with his spear in his hand, and all his officials were standing around him. ⁷Saul said to the officials standing around him, “Listen, you men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards to every one of you too? Will he make all of you commanders over thousands and over hundreds? ⁸All of you have plotted against me! No one told me when my son made a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you feels sorry for me or lets me know that my son has stirred up my servant to lie in wait against me, as he is doing today.”

⁹Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, spoke up: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub. ¹⁰He asked the LORD for guidance for him, and he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” ¹¹The king sent for Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and for all his father’s family, the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king.

¹²Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Yes, my lord.” ¹³Saul said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse plotted against me? You gave him bread and a sword and asked God for guidance for him, so that he could rise up against me and lie in wait, as he is doing today.”

¹⁴Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your officials is as faithful as David? He is the king’s son-in-law, he has a place in your personal guard, and he is honored in your household.^{a 15}Was today the first time I asked God for guidance for him? Far be it from me! Let the king not charge his servant or any of my father’s family with anything, for your servant knew nothing at all about this, small or great.” ¹⁶But the king said, “You will certainly die, Ahimelech, you and your father’s whole family.” ¹⁷Then the king said to the guards who stood around him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was running away, and they did not tell me.” But the king’s officials refused to lift a hand to strike down the priests of the LORD.

¹⁸Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests himself. On that day he put to death eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.^{b 19}He also put Nob, the town of the priests, to the sword. Men and women, children and babies, oxen, donkeys and sheep, he killed them all with the sword. ²⁰But one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, whose name was Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. ²¹Abiathar reported to David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. ²²David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am to blame for the death of every person in your father’s family. ²³Stay with me and do not be afraid. The one who is after my life is after yours as well. With me you will be kept safe.”