9 Doeg, the man from Edom, was standing there with Saul's officers. He said, ‘I saw that son of Jesse when he came to Nob town. He visited Ahitub's son, Ahimelech. 10 Ahimelech asked the Lord what David should do. Then he gave some food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine to David.’
11 Then King Saul told his men to bring Ahitub's son, Ahimelech, the priest. They also brought all his father's family who were priests at Nob. They all came to the king.
12 Saul said to Ahimelech, ‘Listen to me, son of Ahitub.’
Ahimelech answered, ‘I am listening, my king.’
13 Saul said to him, ‘You and this son of Jesse have been trying to kill me! You gave him bread and a sword. You prayed to God on his behalf. Now, at this moment, he is waiting for his chance to kill me!’
14 Ahimelech answered the king, ‘David is the most faithful servant that you have. He is your daughter's husband. He is the captain of the soldiers who keep you safe. Everyone in your house respects him. 15 I have often prayed to God on David's behalf. This was not the first time. King Saul, do not say that my family or I have done anything wrong. I do not know anything about what is happening.’
16 But King Saul said, ‘Ahimelech, you must die, together with all your family.’
17 Then the king said to the guards who were near him, ‘Now kill the Lord's priests! They have been helping David. They knew that he was running away from me. But they did not tell me.’ But the king's officers refused to hurt the Lord's priests.
18 So the king said to Doeg, ‘You must kill the priests.’ So Doeg, the man from Edom, killed the priests that same day. He killed 85 priests who wore linen ephods. 19 He also killed all the people in Nob, which was the town where the priests lived. He killed the men and women, children and babies. He also killed the cows, donkeys and sheep.
20 But one man called Abiathar escaped. He was one of Ahimelech's sons. Abiathar ran away to see David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the Lord's priests. 22 David said to him, ‘When I went to see your father at Nob, Doeg was there too. I knew that he would tell Saul about me. So I have caused the death of everybody in your father's family. 23 Please stay here with me. Do not be afraid. Saul wants to kill you and he wants to kill me too. You will be safe with me.’
