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¹ And David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And his brothers heard, and all his father's house, and they went down to him there.² And every man in distress, and every man who had a creditor, and every man bitter of soul, gathered themselves to him. And he became commander over them. And about four hundred men were with him.³ And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, Please let my father and my mother come and be with you, until I know what God will do to me.⁴ And he settled them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the days David was in the stronghold.⁵ And Gad the prophet said to David, You shall not remain in the stronghold. Go, and you come into the land of Judah. And David left and came into the forest of Hareth.

⁶ And Saul heard that David had been discovered, and the men with him. And Saul was staying in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand. And all his servants were standing by him.⁷ And Saul said to his servants who were standing by him, Now hear, Benjamites. Will the son of Jesse also give to any of you fields and vineyards? Will he make each of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds,⁸ that all of you have conspired against me, and no one was revealing in my ear when my son cut a covenant with the son of Jesse? And not one of you is sorry for me, even to revealin my ear that my son has stirred up myservant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.⁹ And Doeg the Edomite, even he was set over Saul's servants, answered and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.¹⁰ And he asked for him of Jehovah, and gave provisions to him, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.¹¹ And the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests in Nob. And they came, all of them, to the king.¹² And Saul said, Now hear, son of Ahitub. And he said, I am here, my lord.¹³ And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse by your giving bread and a sword to him, and to ask of God for him, to rise up against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?¹⁴ And Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who among all your servants is as David the faithful, and son-in-law of the king; who does your bidding, and is honorable in all your house?¹⁵ Have I today begun to ask of God for him? Far be it from me! Do not let the king lay anything against his servant, against any of my father's house, for your servant has known nothing of this, more or less.¹⁶ And the king said, dying you shall die, Ahimelech, you and your father's house.¹⁷ And the king said to the runners that stood by him, Turn and kill the priests of Jehovah, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he was fleeing, and did not revealwere not willing to put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Jehovah.¹⁸ And the king said to Doeg, You turn and fall on the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and fell on the priests and killed eighty five men bearing a linen ephod in that day.¹⁹ And he struck Nob, the city of the priests with the mouth of the sword, from man even to woman, from child even to suckling, and ox, and ass, and sheep, with the mouth of the sword.

²⁰ And one son escaped of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And his name was Abiathar, and he fled after David.²¹ And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of Jehovah.²² And David said to Abiathar, I knew on that day when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he certainly would tell Saul. I am turned to grief for every life of the house of your father.²³ Stay with me. Do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life. For with me you will be under protection.