²⁶ In the days of Abiathar the high priest,^(A) he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat.^(B) And he also gave some to his companions.”^(C)

¹⁷ Zadok^(A) son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar^(B) were priests; Seraiah was secretary;^(C)

⁶ The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek^(A) son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

David at Nob

21 ^[a]David went to Nob,^(A) to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled^(B) when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

⁵ “Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread,^(A) using two-tenths of an ephah^[a](B) for each loaf. ⁶ Arrange them in two stacks, six in each stack, on the table of pure gold^(C) before the Lord. ⁷ By each stack put some pure incense^(D) as a memorial^[b] portion^(E) to represent the bread and to be a food offering presented to the Lord. ⁸ This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly,^(F) Sabbath after Sabbath,^(G) on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. ⁹ It belongs to Aaron and his sons,^(H) who are to eat it in the sanctuary area,^(I) because it is a most holy^(J) part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the Lord.”

²⁶ To Abiathar^(A) the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth.^(B) You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark^(C) of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.”^{(D) 27} So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling^(E) the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

²⁰ But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub,^(A) named Abiathar,^(B) escaped and fled to join David.^{(C) 21} He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. ²² Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg^(D) the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family.

²² King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag^(A) the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother^(B)—yes, for him and for Abiathar^(C) the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”