1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no man with you?
2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know any thing of the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore what is under your hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or what there is present.
4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said to him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yes, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the show bread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the most chief of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul.
8 And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under your hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king' business required haste.
9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if you will take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
10 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
14 Then said Achish to his servants, See, you see the man is mad: why then have you brought him to me?
15 Have I need of mad men, that you have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
1 And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech trembled when he met David, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no one is with you?
2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has charged me with some business, and said to me, Let no one know anything of the matter about which I am sending you, or what I have commanded you. And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.
4 And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said to him, Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and in a way the bread is common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel today.
6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence which had been taken from before Jehovah, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of Sauls shepherds.
8 And David said to Ahimelech, Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the kings business came about urgently.
9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here. And David said, There is none like it; give it to me.
10 And David rose up and fled that day from the face of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said to him, Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him in dances, saying: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid before Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behavior in their eyes, acted like a mad man in their hands, scratched marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall into his beard.
14 Then Achish said to his servants, Behold, see how the man is mad. Why did you bring him to me?
15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to show madness in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?