⁸ Some Gadites^(A) defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions,^(B) and they were as swift as gazelles^(C) in the mountains.

¹⁴ These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred,^(D) and the greatest for a thousand.^{(E) 15} It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks,^(F) and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

¹⁶ Other Benjamites^(G) and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. ¹⁷ David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit^(H) came on Amasai,^(I) chief of the Thirty, and he said:

So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

³ From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” ⁴ So he left them with the king of Moab,^(A) and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

⁵ But the prophet Gad^(B) said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.^(C)

Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

⁶ Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated,^(D) spear in hand, under the tamarisk^(E) tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. ⁷ He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders^(F) of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸ Is that why you have all conspired^(G) against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant^(H) with the son of Jesse.^(I) None of you is concerned^(J) about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”

⁹ But Doeg^(K) the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub^(L) at Nob.^{(M) 10} Ahimelek inquired^(N) of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions^(O) and the sword^(P) of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. ¹² Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”

“Yes, my lord,” he answered.

¹³ Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired^(Q) against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”

¹⁴ Ahimelek answered the king, “Who^(R) of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? ¹⁵ Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”

¹⁶ But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.^(S)”

¹⁷ Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”

But the king’s officials were unwilling^(T) to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

¹⁸ The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.”^(U) So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.^{(V) 19} He also put to the sword^(W) Nob,^(X) the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

²⁰ But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub,^(Y) named Abiathar,^(Z) escaped and fled to join David.^{(AA) 21} He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. ²² Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg^(AB) the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. ²³ Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you^(AC) is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

Psalm 52^[a]

For the director of music. A maskil^[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite^(A) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

David Saves Keilah

23 When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah^(A) and are looting the threshing floors,”^{(B) 2} he inquired^(C) of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

³ But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

⁴ Once again David inquired^(D) of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines^(E) into your hand.^(F)” ⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. ⁶ (Now Abiathar^(G) son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod^(H) down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

Saul Pursues David

⁷ Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands,^(I) for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”^{(J) 8} And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹ When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar^(K) the priest, “Bring the ephod.^(L)” ¹⁰ David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. ¹¹ Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will.”

¹² Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender^(M) me and my men to Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will.”

¹³ So David and his men,^(N) about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

¹⁴ David stayed in the wilderness^(O) strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph.^(P) Day after day Saul searched^(Q) for him, but God did not^(R) give David into his hands.

¹⁵ While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that^[a] Saul had come out to take his life.^{(S) 16} And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength^(T) in God. ¹⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king^(U) over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” ¹⁸ The two of them made a covenant^(V) before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

¹⁹ The Ziphites^(W) went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us^(X) in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah,^(Y) south of Jeshimon? ²⁰ Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving^(Z) him into your hands.”

²¹ Saul replied, “The Lord bless^(AA) you for your concern^(AB) for me. ²² Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. ²³ Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track^(AC) him down among all the clans of Judah.”

²⁴ So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon,^(AD) in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.^{(AE) 25} Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

²⁶ Saul^(AF) was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, ²⁷ a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” ²⁸ Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.^{[b] 29} And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds^(AG) of En Gedi.^[c](AH)

Psalm 54^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[b] of David. When the Ziphites^(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”