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¹So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there.

²In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

³From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do for me.”

⁴So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

⁵Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Leave and return to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

⁶Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree at the high place. His spear was in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him.

⁷Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin: Is Jesse’s son going to give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

⁸That’s why all of you have conspired against me! Nobody tells me when my own son makes a covenant with Jesse’s son. None of you cares about me or tells me that my son has stirred up my own servant to wait in ambush for me, as is the case today.”

⁹Then Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s servants, answered: “I saw Jesse’s son come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.

¹⁰Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹The king sent messengers to summon the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub, and his father’s whole family, who were priests in Nob. All of them came to the king.

¹²Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub!” “I’m at your service, my lord,” he said.

¹³Saul asked him, “Why did you and Jesse’s son conspire against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him, so he could rise up against me and wait in ambush, as is the case today.”

¹⁴Ahimelech replied to the king: “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David? He is the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your house.

¹⁵Was today the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Please don’t let the king make an accusation against your servant or any of my father’s family, for your servant didn’t have any idea about all this.”

¹⁶But the king said, “You will die, Ahimelech — you and your father’s whole family!”

¹⁷Then the king ordered the guards standing by him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD because they sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they didn’t tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to execute the priests of the LORD.

¹⁸So the king said to Doeg, “Go and execute the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite went and executed the priests himself. On that day, he killed eighty-five men who wore linen ephods.

¹⁹He also struck down Nob, the city of the priests, with the sword — both men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.

²⁰However, one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.

²¹Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.

²²Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day and that he was sure to report to Saul. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father’s family.

²³Stay with me. Don’t be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. You will be safe with me.”

¹It was reported to David: “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and raiding the threshing floors.”

²So David inquired of the LORD: “Should I launch an attack against these Philistines?” The LORD answered David, “Launch an attack against the Philistines and rescue Keilah.”

³But David’s men said to him, “Look, we’re afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

⁴Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will hand the Philistines over to you.”

⁵Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, drove their livestock away, and inflicted heavy losses on them. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, and he brought an ephod with him.

⁷When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates.”

⁸Then Saul summoned all the troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

⁹When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod.”

¹⁰Then David said, “LORD God of Israel, your servant has reliable information that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.

¹¹Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? LORD God of Israel, please tell your servant.” The LORD answered, “He will come down.”

¹²Then David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” “They will,” the LORD responded.

¹³So David and his men, numbering about six hundred, left Keilah at once and moved from place to place. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition.

¹⁴David then stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him.

¹⁵David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.

¹⁶Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God,

¹⁷saying, “Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.”

¹⁸Then the two of them made a covenant in the LORD’s presence. Afterward, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

¹⁹Some Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is hiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon.

²⁰Now, whenever the king wants to come down, let him come down. Our part will be to hand him over to the king.”

²¹“May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have shown concern for me.

²²Go and check again. Investigate where he goes and who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning.

²³Investigate all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with accurate information, and I’ll go with you. If it turns out he really is in the region, I’ll search for him among all the clans of Judah.”

²⁴So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,

²⁵and Saul and his men went to look for him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.

²⁶Saul went along one side of the mountain and David and his men went along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away from Saul, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

²⁷Then a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land!”

²⁸So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation.

²⁹From there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.

¹When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness near En-gedi.”

²So Saul took three thousand of Israel’s fit young men and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

³When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave,

⁴so they said to him, “Look, this is the day the LORD told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.’” Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵Afterward, David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

⁶He said to his men, “I swear before the LORD: I would never do such a thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed. I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”

⁷With these words David persuaded his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.

⁸After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.

⁹David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?

¹⁰You can see with your own eyes that the LORD handed you over to me today in the cave. Someone advised me to kill you, but I took pity on you and said: I won’t lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.

¹¹Look, my father! Look at the corner of your robe in my hand, for I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. Recognize that I’ve committed no crime or rebellion. I haven’t sinned against you even though you are hunting me down to take my life.

¹²“May the LORD judge between me and you, and may the LORD take vengeance on you for me, but my hand will never be against you.

¹³As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness comes from wicked people.’ My hand will never be against you.

¹⁴Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A single flea?

¹⁵May the LORD be judge and decide between you and me. May he take notice and plead my case and deliver me from you.”

¹⁶When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud

¹⁷and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you.

¹⁸You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the LORD handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me.

¹⁹When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed? May the LORD repay you with good for what you’ve done for me today.

²⁰“Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.

²¹Therefore swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”

²²So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.