1David therefore departed thence, and escaped, into the cave of Adullam,—and, when his brethren and all the household of his father heard it, they went down unto him, thither. 2And there gathered themselves unto him—every one that was in distress, and every one that had a creditor, and every one embittered in soul, and he came to be over them as a prince,—and there were with him, about four hundred men. 3And David departed thence, to Mizpah of Moab,—and said unto the king of Moab, I pray thee, let my father and my mother dwell with you, until that I know what God will do for me. 4So he set them before the king of Moab,—and they dwelt with him, all the days that David was in the fortress. 5Then said Gad the prophet unto David—Thou must not abide in the fortress, go and get thee into the land of Judah. So David departed, and entered the forest of Hereth. 6 And, when Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him—Saul, being seated in Gibeah under the tamarisk-tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants stationed by him,— 7then said Saul unto his servants who were stationed by him—Hear, I pray you, ye Benjamites! What! even to all of you, will the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards? All of you, will he appoint to be princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds? 8That ye have conspired, all of you, against me, and there is none to uncover mine ear as to the covenanting of my son with the son of Jesse? And none from among you that taketh pity upon me, and that uncovereth mine ear [to this],—that, mine own son, hath stirred up, my servants, against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? 9Then answered Doeg the Edomite—he, being stationed near the servants of Saul—and said,—I saw the son of Jesse coming into Nob, unto Ahimelech son of Ahitub; 10Then enquired he for him of Yahweh, Provisions also, gave he unto him,—and, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, gave he unto him. 11Then the king sent to call Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, the priest, and all the house of his father—the priests, who were in Nob,—and they came, all of them, unto the king. 12And Saul said, Hear, I pray thee, thou son of Ahitub! And he said—Behold me! my lord. 13And Saul said unto him, Wherefore have ye conspired against me, thou, and the son of Jesse,—in that thou gavest him bread and a sword, and didst enquire for him of God, that he might rise up against me, that he might lie in wait, as at this day? 14Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said,—But who, among all thy servants, like David, is, faithful, being son-in-law to the king, and, cometh near to have audience with thee, and is, honoured in thy household? 15Did I, that day, begin to enquire for him of God? Far from me! Let not the king impute to his servant such a thing, nor to any of the household of my father, for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more. 16And the king said: Thou shalt, die, Ahimelech,—thou and all the household of thy father. 17And the king said unto the runners that were stationed by him—Turn ye round and put to death the priests of Yahweh, because, their hand also, is with David, and because they knew that he was, in flight, and unveiled not mine ear. But the servants of the king were not willing to thrust forth their hand, to fall upon the priests of Yahweh. 18Then said the king to Doeg, Turn, thou, and fall upon the priests. So Doeg the Edomite turned, and, himself, fell upon the priests, and put to death, that day, four score and five men bearing an ephod of linen; 19Nob also, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings,—and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword. 20 But there escaped one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, whose, name, was Abiathar,—and he fled after David. 21So Abiathar told David,—that Saul had slain the priests of Yahweh. 22Then said David to Abiathar—I knew, that day, when Doeg the Edomite was, there, that he would, surely tell, Saul. I, am chargeable with all the lives of the house of thy father. 23Abide with me! do not fear, for, whoso seeketh my life, seeketh thy life,—for, in safeguard, shall thou be, with me.