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 all came 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 enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is today?”
14. Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, “Who amongst all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, captain of your body guard, and honoured in your house?
15. Have I today begun to enquire 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 the Lord; 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 out their hand to fall on the priests of the Lord.
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 the Lord’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 you will be safe with me.”