1Samuel:21-22

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* Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest : and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David , and said unto him , Why art thou alone , and no man with thee ? * And David said unto Ahimelech the priest , The king hath commanded me a business , and hath said unto me , Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee , and what I have commanded thee : and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place . * Now therefore what is under thine hand ? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand , or what there is present . * And the priest answered David , and said , There is no common bread under mine hand , but there is hallowed bread ; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women . * And David answered the priest , and said unto him , Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days , since I came out , and the vessels of the young men are holy , and the bread is in a manner common , yea , though it were sanctified this day in the vessel . * So the priest gave him hallowed bread : for there was no bread there but the shewbread , that was taken from before the LORD , to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away . * Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day , detained before the LORD ; and his name was Doeg , an Edomite , the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul . * And David said unto Ahimelech , And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword ? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me , because the king 's business required haste . * And the priest said , The sword of Goliath the Philistine , whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah , behold , it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod : if thou wilt take that , take it : for there is no other save that here . And David said , There is none like that ; give it me . * And David arose , and fled that day for fear of Saul , and went to Achish the king of Gath . * And the servants of Achish said unto him , Is not this David the king of the land ? did they not sing one to another of him in dances , saying , Saul hath slain his thousands , and David his ten thousands ? * And David laid up these words in his heart , and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath . * And he changed his behaviour before them , and feigned himself mad in their hands , and scrabbled on the doors of the gate , and let his spittle fall down upon his beard . * Then said Achish unto his servants , Lo , ye see the man is mad : wherefore then have ye brought him to me ? * Have I need of mad men , that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence ? shall this fellow come into my house ? * David therefore departed thence , and escaped to the cave Adullam : and when his brethren and all his father 's house heard it , they went down thither to him . * And every one that was in distress , and every one that was in debt , and every one that was discontented , gathered themselves unto him ; and he became a captain over them : and there were with him about four hundred men . * And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab : and he said unto the king of Moab , Let my father and my mother , I pray thee , come forth , and be with you , till I know what God will do for me . * And he brought them before the king of Moab : and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold . * And the prophet Gad said unto David , Abide not in the hold ; depart , and get thee into the land of Judah . Then David departed , and came into the forest of Hareth . * When Saul heard that David was discovered , and the men that were with him , (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah , having his spear in his hand , and all his servants were standing about him ;) * Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him , Hear now , ye Benjamites ; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards , and make you all captains of thousands , and captains of hundreds ; * That all of you have conspired against me , and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse , and there is none of you that is sorry for me , or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me , to lie in wait , as at this day ? * Then answered Doeg the Edomite , which was set over the servants of Saul , and said , I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob , to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub . * And he enquired of the LORD for him , and gave him victuals , and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine . * Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest , the son of Ahitub , and all his father 's house , the priests that were in Nob : and they came all of them to the king . * And Saul said , Hear now , thou son of Ahitub . And he answered , Here I am , my lord . * And Saul said unto him , Why have ye conspired against me , thou and the son of Jesse , in that thou hast given him bread , and a sword , and hast enquired of God for him , that he should rise against me , to lie in wait , as at this day ? * Then Ahimelech answered the king , and said , And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David , which is the king 's son in law , and goeth at thy bidding , and is honourable in thine house ? * Did I then begin to enquire of God for him ? be it far from me : let not the king impute any thing unto his servant , nor to all the house of my father : for thy servant knew nothing of all this , less or more . * And the king said , Thou shalt surely die , Ahimelech , thou , and all thy father 's house . * And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him , Turn , and slay the priests of the LORD ; because their hand also is with David , and because they knew when he fled , and did not shew it to me . But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD . * And the king said to Doeg , Turn thou , and fall upon the priests . And Doeg the Edomite turned , and he fell upon the priests , and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod . * And Nob , the city of the priests , smote he with the edge of the sword , both men and women , children and sucklings , and oxen , and asses , and sheep , with the edge of the sword . * And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub , named Abiathar , escaped , and fled after David . * And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD 'S priests . * And David said unto Abiathar , I knew it that day , when Doeg the Edomite was there , that he would surely tell Saul : I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father 's house . * Abide thou with me , fear not : for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life : but with me thou shalt be in safeguard . * Then they told David , saying , Behold , the Philistines fight against Keilah , and they rob the threshingfloors .

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