1 Samuel 19-22 The Madness of Kings

Psalm 43:1-5 Led by Light and Truth

Ps 43:1 “Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men. 2 For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy hill, to Your tents. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise You on the harp, God, my God. 5 Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise Him: my Savior, my helper, and my God.

Observations: Apparently the Psalmist has lost his way, and is stumbling around in the dark oppressed by the enemy because God has rejected him. He feels like despairing, but expresses hope in God's character with the request for God to save him and bring him back, for which he will praise Him.

Application: When down in the dark, look up and ask God for help.

Prayer: My Strong Savior, my Helper, my God, let Your light and truth guide me back to You, my greatest Joy. Amen.

Proverbs 12:6-10 Good Guys and Bad Guys

Pr 12:6 “The words of the wicked are about lying in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. 7 The wicked are overthrown, and are no more, but the house of the righteous shall stand. 8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom, but he who has a warped mind shall be despised. 9 Better is he who is lightly esteemed, and has a servant, than he who honors himself, and lacks bread. 10 A righteous man respects the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

Observations: 12:6 The words of the wicked are an ambush (HCSB) which means they will come back to hurt and haunt them. The words of the upright rescue them. Better deal; the good guys also get stability, commendation, and fed.

Application: If we watch our speech and our steps, we'll do better than those who don't.

Prayer: Father, help me walk in the way of the righteous, and experience the abundant life as You intended. Amen.

1 Samuel 19-22 Divinely chosen David spent most of his twenties fleeing from divinely rejected and deranged Saul (energized by an evil spirit from Yahweh). It looks like God is not only not helping David, but inciting his enemies against him. However, God is protecting, preparing and actually prospering David on levels that aren't always obvious from a physical comfort perspective. Many Psalms written by David during this period have been used by God to meet His people's emotional and spiritual needs.

1 Samuel 19 Delivering David and Dishonoring Saul

19:1 Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. 2 Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, and live in a secret place, and hide yourself. 3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk with my father about you; and if I see anything, I will tell you." 4 Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, "Don’t let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you; 5 for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?" 6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan: and Saul swore, "As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death." 7 Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as before.

8 There was war again. David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him. 9 An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing his harp. 10 Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled, and escaped that night.

11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, "If you don’t save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed." 12 So Michal let David down through the window. He went, fled, and escaped. 13 Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with the clothes. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." 15 Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him." 16 When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he is escaped?" Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’"

18 Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and lived in Naioth. 19 It was told Saul, saying, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah." 20 Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came on the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" One said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah." 23 He went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God came on him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Observations: 19:1-7 Jonathan restores rationality to Saul so he temporarily doesn't sin by ordering the death of innocent and loyal David.

19:8-17 God gives David victory against the Philistines and an evil spirit to Saul, inciting him again to kill David. Missing with his spear (again) Saul sends assassins to David's house, but Saul's daughter saves David.

19:18-24 God's Spirit “directly” saves David by taking possession of the assassins and then Saul. “Is Saul also among the prophets?” was initially (1Sam 10:11) a reference to God honoring Saul, but now Saul is dishonored since he would not honor God and His anointed.

Application: If God gives us enemies who seek to harm us for doing good, He also gives us protection.

Prayer: God, thanks that I can trust You to creatively protect me as I do Your will. Amen.

1 Samuel 20 Parting of Friends

20:1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?" 3 David swore moreover, and said, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, ‘Don’t let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved’: but truly as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death." 4 Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you." 5 David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to dine with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening. 6 If your father miss me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ 7 If he says, ‘It is well’; your servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, then know that evil is determined by him. 8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you: but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?" 9 Jonathan said, "Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then wouldn’t I tell you that?"

14 You shall not only while yet I live show me the hesed/loyal love of Yahweh, that I not die; 15 but also you shall not cut off your hesed/loyal love from my house forever; no, not when Yahweh has cut off the enemies of David everyone from the surface of the earth." 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies." 17 Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18 Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon: and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 When you have stayed three days, come to the place where you hid yourself when this started 20 I will shoot three arrows as though I shot at a mark. 21 I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ If I tell the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you. Take them’; then come; for there is peace to you and no hurt, as Yahweh lives. 22 But if I say this to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you’; then go your way; for Yahweh has sent you away. 23 Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever."

24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon had come, the king sat him down to eat food. 27 Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why doesn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, neither yesterday, nor today?" 28 Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem...30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse rebellious woman, don’t I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!" 32 Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" 33 Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

35 It happened in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him. 36 He said to his boy, "Run, find now the arrows which I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, "Isn’t the arrow beyond you?" 38 Jonathan cried after the boy, "Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!" Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, "Go, carry them to the city." 41 As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another, and wept one with another, and David wept the most. 42 Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, because we have both sworn in the name of Yahweh, saying, ‘Yahweh shall be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed, forever.’" He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.

Observations: 20:1-8 David is blameless in his dealings, but questions if the persecution by Saul is the result of David's sin. Good idea to check.

20:14-23 To avoid detection Jonathan and David set up a scheme to communicate Saul's favor or disfavor so David can take appropriate action. They reaffirm their covenant of hesed with each other, calling Yahweh as a witness between them. The normal practice was for a new king to kill any rivals for the throne (as they were to each other).

20:24-42 In choosing to be loyal to David, Jonathan, abdicates as heir apparent, in accordance with Samuel's pronouncement (15:26-28). In contrast to his father, Jonathan wanted God's will far more than his own desires. Saul hurls abuse and a spear at his “rebellious wife's son” (projection again). Fortunately his aim was off. Jonathan communicates with David, who goes off and running.

Application: Loyalty to God demands discriminatory allegiance (one or the other); in the process of following Him, we will have to be disloyal to those who don't follow Him, losing the blessings of this world, and frequently incurring abuse, and an occasional spear.

Prayer: God may I always embrace what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost. Amen.

1 Samuel 21 Deception and Holy Bread

21:1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no man with you?" 2 David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, ‘Let no man know anything of the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you; and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.’ 3 Now therefore what is under your hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is present." 4 The priest answered David, and said, "There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women." 5 David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly, women have been kept from us about these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?" 6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread, that was taken from before Yahweh, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul. 8 David said to Ahimelech, "Isn’t there here under your hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste." 9 The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here." David said, "There is none like that. Give it to me."

10 David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing one to another about him in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?’" 12 David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 He changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"

Observations: 21:1-9 Although David's business was the result of the king's command to kill him, he deceives the priest and receives the holy bread which only priests were to eat. (22:10 states that Ahimelech did inquire of God first). David might have been trying to protect Ahimelech but not letting him know that he would be aiding Saul's enemy. However, it looks like David isn't exhibiting the most God-trusting behavior. Notice that he also gets Goliath's sword, which he first obtained when totally trusting God. Jesus appeals to this account in Matthew 12:1-8 to underscore that God desires a real care for others (mercy) more than ritual. One of Saul's servants was there, and David's actions result in an entire town of innocent priests being destroyed (next chapter).

21:10-15 David flees to Goliath's hometown, Gath, and deceives their king by pretending to be mad. Achish has enough mad men, thank you, and David escapes.

Application: Our actions can have unintended consequences in the lives of others, so we need to be careful to seek and do God's will.

Prayer: God, I trust You to protect me as I do Your will; help me discern it clearly and do it completely. Amen.

1 Samuel 22 Betrayal and Innocent Blood

22:1 David therefore departed there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. 3 David went there to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother come out with you, until I know what God will do for me." 4 He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the while that David was in the stronghold. 5 The prophet Gad said to David, "Don’t stay in the stronghold. Depart, and go into the land of Judah." Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.

6 Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7 Saul said to his servants who stood about him, "Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, 8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who discloses to me when my son makes a treaty with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?" 9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, answered and said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 He inquired of Yahweh for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." 11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. 12 Saul said, "Hear now, you son of Ahitub." He answered, "Here I am, my lord." 13 Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?" 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, "Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and is taken into your council, and is honorable in your house? 15 Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me! Don’t let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, less or more." 16 The king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father’s house." 
17 The king said to the guard who stood about him, "Turn, and kill the priests of Yahweh; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and didn’t disclose it to me." But the servants of the king wouldn’t put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Yahweh. 18 The king said to Doeg, "Turn and attack the priests!" Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod. 19 He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing babies, and cattle and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

20 One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Yahweh’s priests. 22 David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me, don’t be afraid; for he who seeks my life seeks your life. For with me you shall be in safeguard."

Observations: 22:1-5 David attracts a ragtag band of 400 “losers,” and moves his parents to Moab for safety. A prophet, Gad, gives him a warning which David follows.

22:6-23 Saul complains that no one tells him anything, and Doeg spills the beans about David and Ahimelech, who protests (correctly) his innocence. Saul orders his death, but just like in the rash order to kill Jonathan, the Israelites refuse to kill Yahweh's priests. Doeg the Edomite slaughters 85 priests, for doing what is right, along with the entire city of Nob. David mourns his responsibility for the slaughter, which was indirectly caused by his actions. In Psalm 52 (Dt 21 Post) David calls for judgment upon Doeg for his evil.

Application: It is better to do what's right in God's sight, and suffer the temporal consequences (even death), than do what is wrong and suffer eternal consequences.

Prayer: Lord, You are the Creator and Sustainer of life, which is to be invested and sacrificed for Your purposes. Amen.

Digging Deeper:

God in a nutshell: God uses multiple means to bring about His purposes, both individually and globally. His desire is for people to trust Him, do what He's revealed, and then to bless them so He is glorified. He will sometimes bring about difficulties to deepen our dependence upon Him and refine our trust in His goodness and wisdom. He provides resources and protection for His servants from the trials He allows or even brings into their lives. He expects us to do what's right especially when treated unjustly (ever heard of Jesus?).

Us in a nutshell: We are always faced with choices to do what pleases and benefits God or ourselves. If we choose to sacrifice our interests for the sake of God's will, we win. We lose when we place the priority on our pitiful quest for worth and value apart from God. Sometime we will unjustly lose our rights or lives in order to do what God has revealed is right. That's why we're on earth.

Where to Go for More:

Truthbase.net
Can God Meet Emotional Needs?

1 Samuel 19-22 complete text

1 Samuel 19

19:1 Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. 2 Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, and live in a secret place, and hide yourself. 3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk with my father about you; and if I see anything, I will tell you." 4 Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, "Don’t let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you; 5 for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?" 6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan: and Saul swore, "As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death." 7 Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as before.

8 There was war again. David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him. 9 An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand. 10 Saul sought to pin David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled, and escaped that night.

11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, "If you don’t save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed." 12 So Michal let David down through the window. He went, fled, and escaped. 13 Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with the clothes. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." 15 Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him." 16 When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he is escaped?" Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’"

18 Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and lived in Naioth. 19 It was told Saul, saying, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah." 20 Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came on the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" One said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah." 23 He went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God came on him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

1 Samuel 21

21:1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no man with you?" 2 David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, ‘Let no man know anything of the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you; and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.’ 3 Now therefore what is under your hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is present." 4 The priest answered David, and said, "There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women." 5 David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly, women have been kept from us about these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?" 6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread, that was taken from before Yahweh, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. 7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul. 8 David said to Ahimelech, "Isn’t there here under your hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste." 9 The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here." David said, "There is none like that. Give it to me."

10 David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing one to another about him in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?’" 12 David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 He changed his behaviour before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"

1 Samuel 22

22:1 David therefore departed there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. 3 David went there to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother come out with you, until I know what God will do for me." 4 He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the while that David was in the stronghold. 5 The prophet Gad said to David, "Don’t stay in the stronghold. Depart, and go into the land of Judah." Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.

6 Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7 Saul said to his servants who stood about him, "Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, 8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who discloses to me when my son makes a treaty with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?" 9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, answered and said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 He inquired of Yahweh for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." 11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. 12 Saul said, "Hear now, you son of Ahitub." He answered, "Here I am, my lord." 13 Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?" 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, "Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and is taken into your council, and is honourable in your house? 15 Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me! Don’t let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, less or more." 16 The king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father’s house." 17 The king said to the guard who stood about him, "Turn, and kill the priests of Yahweh; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and didn’t disclose it to me." But the servants of the king wouldn’t put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Yahweh. 18 The king said to Doeg, "Turn and attack the priests!" Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod. 19 He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing babies, and cattle and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

20 One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Yahweh’s priests. 22 David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me, don’t be afraid; for he who seeks my life seeks your life. For with me you shall be in safeguard."