1
And David went thence, and escaped to▵ the cave of Adullam, and his brothers and all his father’s house heard, and they went··down thither to▵ him.
2
And every man◦ in anguish, and every man◦ that was in debt, and every man◦ that was bitter in soul, came··together to▵ him, and he became a commander◦ over them; and there were with him about four hundred men◦.
3
And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said unto▵ the king of Moab, Let, I pray◦, my father and my mother go··out to you, until I know what God will do for me.
4
And he led them before the king of Moab; and they dwelt with▵ him all the days that David was in the fort.
5
And Gad the prophet said unto▵ David, Dwell not in the fort, go and come into▵ the land of Judah. And David went and came into the forest of Hareth.
6
And Saul heard that David was discovered*, and the men◦ who were with him; and Saul sat in Gibeah under the grove◦ in the high··place, and his spear was in his hand, and all his servants were standing◦ by◦ him.
7
And Saul said to his servants standing◦ by◦ him, Hear, I pray◦, ye Benjaminites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? Will he set all of you as princes of thousands and princes of hundreds,
8
that all of you have conspired against me, and no··one reveals it in my ear, that my son has cut a covenant with the son of Jesse, and none of you is sorry* for▵ me, and reveals in my ear, that my son has raised··up my servant against me, to set··an··ambush as at this day?
9
And Doeg the Edomite answered—and he◦ was set··up over the servants of Saul—and he said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to▵ Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10
And he asked of Jehovah for him, and gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
11
And the king sent to call Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, the priest, and all the house of his father, the priests that were in Nob; and all of them came to▵ the king.
12
And Saul said, Hear now◦, O son of Ahitub. And he said, Behold me, my lord.
13
And Saul said to▵ him, Why have you conspired against me, thou◦ and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given unto him bread, and a sword, and hast asked of God for him, that he should rise··up against▵ me in ambush, as at this day?
14
And Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who among◦ all thy servants is· as ·faithful as David, and a son-in-law of the king, and puts· himself ·aside to▵ thine obedience, and is so honored◦ in thy house?
15
Did I this day begin to ask of God for him? Far··be··it from me; let not the king impute* any thing to his servant, to all the house of his father; for thy servant knew not any of this thing, little◦ or great.
16
And the king said, Dying, thou shalt··die, Ahimelech, thou◦ and all the house of thy father.
17
And the king said to the runners standing◦ by◦ him, Turn··around and put··to··death the priests of Jehovah; for their hand also is with David, and because◦ they knew that he◦ had run··away, and had not revealed it to my ear. But the servants of the king were· not ·willing to put··forth◦ their hand to fall··upon the priests of Jehovah.
18
And the king said to Doeg, Turn· thou◦ ·around and fall··upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned··around, and fell··upon the priests, and put··to··death on◦ that◦ day eighty and five men◦ bearing a linen ephod.
19
And Nob the city of the priests he smote with the mouth of the sword, from a man◦ even··to a woman, from a babe even··to a nursing infant, and the ox, and the donkey, and the animal··of··the··flock with the mouth of the sword.
20
And one son of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, escaped, and his name was Abiathar, and he ran··away after David.
21
And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of Jehovah.
22
And David said to Abiathar, I knew in that◦ day, when◦ Doeg the Edomite was there, that telling he would tell Saul; I▵ have brought··about the death of every soul of the house of thy father.
23
Dwell with◦ me, fear not; for he that seeks my soul seeks thy soul; for with··me thou◦ wilt be guarded.
