David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam . When his brothers and his father ' s household heard about it , they went down to him there . All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him , and he became their leader . About four hundred men were with him . From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab , " Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me ? " So he left them with the king of Moab , and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold . But the prophet Gad said to David , " Do not stay in the stronghold . Go into the land of Judah . " So David left and went to the forest of Hereth . Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered . And Saul , spear in hand , was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah , with all his officials standing around him . Saul 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 of thousands and commanders of hundreds ? Is that why you have all conspired against me ? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse . None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me , as he does today . " But Doeg the Edomite , who was standing with Saul ' s officials , said , " I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob . Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him ; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine . " Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father ' s whole family , who were the priests at Nob , and they all came to the king . Saul said , " Listen now , son of Ahitub . " " Yes , my lord , " he answered . Saul said to him , " Why have you conspired 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 ? " Ahimelech answered the king , " Who 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 ? 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 . " But the king said , " You will surely die , Ahimelech , you and your father ' s whole family . " 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 . 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 . 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 . But Abiathar , a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub , escaped and fled to join David . He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD . 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 . Stay with me ; don ' t be afraid ; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also . You will be safe with me . "