⁹Doeg was standing with Saul’s officials. He was from Edom. He said, “I saw Jesse’s son David come to Ahimelech at Nob. Ahimelech is the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰Ahimelech asked the Lord a question for David. He also gave him food and the sword of Goliath, the Philistine.”

¹¹Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub. He sent for all of the men in his family. They were the priests at Nob. All of them came to the king.

¹²Saul said, “Son of Ahitub, listen to me.”

“Yes, master,” he answered.

¹³Saul said to him, “Why have you and Jesse’s son joined together against me? Why did you give him bread and a sword? Why did you ask God a question for him? Now he has turned against me. He is hiding and waiting to attack me right now.”

¹⁴Ahimelech answered the king, “David is true to you. In fact, he’s more true to you than anyone else who serves you. He’s your own son-in-law. He’s the captain of your own personal guards. He’s highly respected by everyone in your palace. ¹⁵Was that day the first time I asked God a question for him? Of course not!

“Please don’t bring charges against me. Please don’t bring charges against anyone in my family. I don’t know anything at all about this whole matter.”

¹⁶But the king said, “Ahimelech, you will certainly be put to death. You and your whole family will be put to death.”

¹⁷Then the king gave an order to the guards who were at his side. He said, “Go and kill the priests of the Lord. They are on David’s side too. They knew he was running away from me. And they didn’t even tell me.”

But the king’s officials wouldn’t raise a hand to strike down the priests of the Lord.

¹⁸Then the king ordered Doeg, “You go and strike the priests down.”

So Doeg, the Edomite, went and struck them down. That day he killed 85 men who wore linen aprons. ¹⁹He also killed the people of Nob with his sword. Nob was a town where priests lived. Doeg killed its men and women. He killed its children and babies. He also destroyed its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

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