David Encounters the Priests of Nob

21 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came trembling to meet David, and he said to him, “Why are you alone and there are no men with you?” 2 So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘No one must know anything about this matter on which I am sending you, with which I have charged you and the servants.’ ” So ⌊I have arranged to meet with my servants at a certain place⌋.a 3 Now then, ⌊what do you have at hand⌋?b Give me five loaves of bread or ⌊whatever is here⌋.”c 4 The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread ⌊here at hand⌋;d there is only holy bread, but only if the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 David answered the priest and said to him, “Indeed, women were held back from us ⌊as it has been when I’ve gone out before⌋.e And the thingsf of the young men are holy wheng it is an ordinary journey. ⌊How much more⌋h ⌊today⌋i will the thingsj be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence, which was removed from before Yahweh, in order to set hot bread there on the day when it was taken away.

7 Now there was a man from the servants of Saul on that day, detained before Yahweh, whose name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s shepherds. 8 David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not ⌊at your disposal⌋k a spear or a sword? For I took neither my sword nor my weapons with me because the king’s matter was urgent.” 9 So the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine whom you killed in the valley of Elah is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want to take it for yourself, then take it, for there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David Flees to Achish in Gath

10 So David got up and fled on that day from the presence of Saul, and he came to Achish the king of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Is it not for this one that they sang in the dances, saying, ‘Saul killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands?’ ” 12 ⌊David took these words seriously⌋l and ⌊felt severely threatened by⌋m Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior ⌊before them⌋n and pretended to be mad ⌊in their presence⌋.o He made scratches on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down into his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see a madman! Why did you bring him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen that you have brought this one to act like a madman before me? Should this one enter my household?”

Saul Takes Revenge on the Priests Who Helped David

22 David went from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s householda heard, they came down to him there. 2 Every man in distress and every man who had a creditor and every embittered man gathered to him, and he became ⌊their commander⌋.b Now there were about four hundred men with him. 3 And David went up from there to Mizpah of Moab. He said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother ⌊stay⌋c with you until I know what God will do for me.” 4 So ⌊he brought them before the king of Moab⌋,d and they stayed with him all the days David was in the stronghold.

5 Then Gad the prophet said to David, “You should not stay in the stronghold; leave and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and came to the forest of Hereth. 6 Now Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been located. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at Ramah. Now his spear was in his hand and all his servants were stationed around him. 7 Then Saul said to the servants who were standing around him, “Please listen, ⌊Benjaminites⌋!e Will the son of Jesse give you all fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 For all of you have conspired against me, and ⌊no one discloses to me⌋f the ⌊making⌋g of an agreement between my son and the son of Jesse! None of you have had sympathy for me or ⌊disclosed to me⌋h that ⌊my son commissioned my servant against me to ambush me⌋i as has been done this day!”

9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was stationed among the servants of Saul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 And he inquired of Yahweh for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11 So the king sent to summon Ahimelech the son of Ahitub the priest, and all his father’s household, the priests who were at Nob. So all of them came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen please, son of Ahitub.” He said, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 Then Saul said to him, “Why did you conspire against me, you and the son of Jesse, when you gave to him bread and a sword, and by inquiring of God for him so that he might arise against me to ambush me as has been done this day?” 14 But Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David? He is the son-in-law of the king who moves quickly to safeguard you and is honored in your house. 15 Only today I began to inquire of God for him. Far be it from me that ⌊the king should impute anything against his servant⌋j or against my father’s household, for your servant has not known any of this matter, little or much.” 16 Then the king said, “You must certainly die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!” 17 So the king said to the runners who were stationed around him, “Turn and kill the priests of Yahweh, because ⌊they also support David⌋k and because they knew that he was fleeing and ⌊did not disclose it to me⌋.”l But the servants of the king were not willing to raise their hand to attack the priests of Yahweh. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and attack the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests himself, and on that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 And ⌊he put to the sword⌋m Nob, the city of the priests, from man to woman, from child to infant, and ox and donkey and sheep;n all ⌊to the sword⌋.o

20 But, one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, whose name was Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of Yahweh. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would certainly tell Saul. ⌊I am responsible for the deaths of all your father’s household⌋!p 23 Stay with me! Do not fear, because he who seeks my life seeks your life. You are in good care with me.”

David Defeats the Philistines at Keilah

23 Now they told David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting in Keilah and they are raiding the threshing floors.” 2 So David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And Yahweh said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and savea Keilah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. ⌊How much more⌋b if we go to Keilah to the battle lines of the Philistines?” 4 So David again inquired of Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him and said, “Get up, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.” 5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. They drove off their livestock and ⌊dealt them a heavy blow⌋.c So David savedd the inhabitants of Keilah.

David Flees from Saul at Keilah

6 ⌊Now when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled⌋e to David at Keilah, he went down with an ephod in his hand. 7 When it was told to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, Saul said, “God ⌊has given him⌋f into my hand, because he has shut himself in by going into a city with ⌊two barred gates⌋.g 8 Saul then summoned all of the army for the battle, to go down to Keilah to lay a siege against David and his men. 9 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 And David said, “O Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. 11 Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, please tell your servant!” And Yahweh said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And Yahweh said, “They will deliver you.” 13 So David and his men got up, about six hundred men, and went out from Keilah and wandered wherever they could go. When it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, ⌊he stopped his pursuit⌋.h

David Eludes Saul’s Pursuit

14 David remained in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him ⌊continually⌋,i but God did not give him into his hand. 15 When David realized that Saul had gone out to seek his life, David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16 So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David at Horesh, and ⌊encouraged him⌋j through God. 17 He said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and ⌊I will be second to you⌋.k My father Saul knows this also.” 18 Then the two of them ⌊made⌋l a covenant before Yahweh. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.

19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon? 20 So then, O king, ⌊whenever you want⌋m to come down, come down, and it will be for us to deliver him into the hand of the king.” 21 And Saul said to them, “May you be blessed by Yahweh, for you have shown me compassion! 22 Go, please, make certain again! Find out and see ⌊exactly where he is⌋n and who has seen him there! For they have said to me, ‘He is very cunning.’ 23 Look, find out all of the hiding places where he hides. Then return to me ⌊with dependable…