6Saul heard that David had become known, along with the men who were with him. Saul was dwelling in Gibeah under the tamarisk on the high place, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him.7Saul said to his servants who stood around him, "Hear me, you sons of Benjamin; to all of you the son of Jesse will give fields and vineyards, and he will appoint all of you as commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds."8For you have all conspired against me, and no one disclosed it to me when my son made a covenant with the son of Jesse; none of you has shown weakness toward me by disclosing it to me, because my son has set my servant against me to lie in ambush this very day.9Doeg the Edomite answered; he was standing with the servants of Saul, and he said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub."10He inquired of the LORD for him, and the priest gave him provisions; he also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.11The king sent for Ahimelech the son of Ahitub the priest and for all the members of his father's house, the priests who were in Nob, and they all came to the king.12Saul said, "Hear me, son of Ahitub." He answered, "Here I am, my lord."13Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, by giving him food and a sword and by inquiring of God for him, so that he might rise against me in ambush this very day?"14Ahimelech answered the king and said, "And who among all your servants is like David, who is faithful, the king's son-in-law, who turns aside to your guard and is honored in your house?"15Was it today that I began to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me; let the king not charge his servant with any word against the entire house of my father, for your servant knew nothing of all this matter, whether small or great.16The king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house."17The king said to the guards who stood around him, "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not disclose it to me." But the servants of the king were unwilling to stretch out their hand against the priests of the LORD.18The king said to Doeg, "You turn and fall upon the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and fell upon the priests, and on that day he killed eighty-five men who bore the linen ephod.19He also put Nob, the city of the priests, to the sword, both men and women, children and infants, and cattle, donkeys, and sheep.20But one son of Ahimelech the 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 the death of every person in your father's house."23Stay with me; do not be afraid, for the one who seeks my life seeks your life also, for you are under my protection.