Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

⁶When Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered, he was staying in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing around him. ⁷Then Saul said to his servants who stood around him, "Listen now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give each of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds?" ⁸That all of you have conspired against me, and none of you told me that my son made a pact with the son of Jesse. None of you feels sorry for me or informed me that my son has incited my servant against me, to lie in wait, as he does today. ⁹Then Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul's servants, spoke up: "I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub. ¹⁰Ahimelech enquired of the LORD for him, gave him food, and handed him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. ¹¹The king sent for Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and all his father's family, the priests who were in Nob. They all came to the king. ¹²Saul said, "Listen here, son of Ahitub." Ahimelech answered, "I'm here, my lord." ¹³Saul demanded, "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and asked God for him, so that he could rise against me and lie in wait, as he is doing today!" ¹⁴Ahimelech replied, "My king, who among all your servants is as loyal as David? He's your own son-in-law, he carries out your orders, and he's honored in your household. ¹⁵Was that the first time I ever asked God for him? Absolutely not! Please don't blame me or anyone in my father's family for anything. Your servant knew nothing at all about any of this. ¹⁶But the king declared, "You are going to die, Ahimelech — you and your entire family." ¹⁷Then the king ordered his guards, "Go and kill the priests of the LORD, because they sided with David. They knew he was running from me and didn't tell me." But the king's guards refused to raise a hand against the priests of the LORD. ¹⁸So the king turned to Doeg and said, "You do it — attack the priests." Doeg the Edomite stepped forward and struck them down. That day he killed 85 men who wore the linen ephod. ¹⁹Then he attacked Nob, the city of the priests, with the sword, killing men and women, children and nursing babies, as well as oxen, donkeys, and sheep. ²⁰But one of Ahimelech's sons, a man named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David. ²¹Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. ²²David said to Abiathar, "I knew it. The day I saw Doeg the Edomite there, I knew he would tell Saul everything. I'm the one responsible for the death of everyone in your father's family. ²³Stay with me. Don't be afraid. The man who wants me dead wants you dead too — but as long as you're with me, you'll be safe."