Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

⁶ Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated,^(A) spear in hand, under the tamarisk^(B) 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^(C) of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸ Is that why you have all conspired^(D) against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant^(E) with the son of Jesse.^(F) None of you is concerned^(G) 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^(H) the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub^(I) at Nob.^{(J) 10} Ahimelek inquired^(K) of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions^(L) and the sword^(M) 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^(N) 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^(O) 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.^(P)”

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^(Q) to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

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