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1 Samuel 22:1-23 — Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

1Sam.22.1-23

¹David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father's house heard, they went down to him there. ²Everyone who was in distress, everyone who had a creditor, and everyone who was bitter in soul gathered to him, and he became commander over them. About four hundred men were with him. ³From there David went to Mizpah of Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” ⁴So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time David was in the stronghold. ⁵Then Gad the prophet said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go and enter the land of Judah.” So David went and came to the forest of Hereth. ⁶Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had become known. Saul was sitting at Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. ⁷Then Saul said to his servants who stood around him, "Listen now, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse also give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, ⁸that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day." ⁹Then Doeg the Edomite answered—he was standing with the servants of Saul—and said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub. ¹⁰He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." ¹¹Then the king sent and summoned Ahimelech son of Ahitub the priest, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob. And they all came to the king. ¹²Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord .” ¹³Saul said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, by giving him bread and a sword and by inquiring of God for him, so that he has risen against me to lie in wait, as at this day?” ¹⁴Ahimelech answered the king, "And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king's son-in-law, who is admitted to your council and is honored in your house? ¹⁵Was today the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king lay anything to the charge of his servant or to all my father's house, for your servant knew nothing of all this, whether little or great." ¹⁶But the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house!” ¹⁷Then the king said to the guards who stood around him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David; for they knew that he was fleeing and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the LORD. ¹⁸So the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” Then Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and on that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. ¹⁹And Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, from man to woman, from child to infant, and ox and donkey and sheep, with the edge of the sword. ²⁰But one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped; his name was Abiathar, and he fled after David. ²¹Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. ²²David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for every life in your father's house. ²³Stay with me. Do not be afraid, for whoever seeks my life seeks your life . You will be under my protection with me."

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4/11/2026

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