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, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family.'
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 not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord .
18 The king then ordered Doeg, 'You turn and strike down the priests.' So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.
19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.
20 But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David.
21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord .
22 Then David said to Abiathar: 'That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family.
23 Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me.'
23 When David was told, 'Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,'
2 he inquired 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 of the Lord , and the Lord answered him, 'Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.'
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 son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, 'God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.'
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 the priest, 'Bring the ephod.'
10 David said, 'O 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? O Lord , God of Israel, tell your servant.' And the Lord said, 'He will.'
12 Again David asked, 'Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?' And the Lord said, 'They will.'
13 So David and his men, 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 desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life.
16 And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.
17 'Don't be afraid,' he said. 'My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.'
18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord . Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.
19 The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, 'Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon?
20 Now, O king, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king.'
21 Saul replied, 'The Lord bless you for your concern for me.
22 Go and make further preparation. 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 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, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.
