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.