1 Samuel 22:9-19

9 Doeg was standing there with Saul's officers, and he said, "I saw David when he went to Ahimelech son of Ahitub in Nob. 1
10 Ahimelech asked the Lord what David should do, and then he gave David some food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."
11 So King Saul sent for the priest Ahimelech and all his relatives, who were also priests in Nob, and they came to him.
12 Saul said to Ahimelech, "Listen, Ahimelech!" "At your service, sir," he answered.
13 Saul asked him, "Why are you and David plotting against me? Why did you give him some food and a sword, and consult God for him? Now he has turned against me and is waiting for a chance to kill me!"
14 Ahimelech answered, "David is the most faithful officer you have! He is your own son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and highly respected by everyone in the royal court.
15 Yes, I consulted God for him, and it wasn't the first time. As for plotting against you, Your Majesty must not accuse me or anyone else in my family. I don't know anything about this matter!"
16 The king said, "Ahimelech, you and all your relatives must die."
17 Then he said to the guards standing near him, "Kill the Lord's priests! They conspired with David and did not tell me that he had run away, even though they knew it all along." But the guards refused to lift a hand to kill the Lord's priests.
18 So Saul said to Doeg, "You kill them!" - and Doeg killed them all. On that day he killed eighty-five priests who were qualified to carry the ephod.
19 Saul also had all the other inhabitants of Nob, the city of priests, put to death: men and women, children and babies, cattle, donkeys, and sheep - they were all killed.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 22.9, 10 1 S 21.7-9; Ps 52 Title.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. [Some ancient translations] captain of; [Hebrew] he turned to.
  • [b]. Yes, I consulted . . . time; [or] Now, have I done something wrong today by consulting God for him? Not at all!
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.