撒母耳記上 21
1 達味去諾布，到了阿希肋客那裏；阿希默肋客戰戰兢兢出來迎接達味，問他說：「為什麼你一個人來，沒有人隨從你﹖」
David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek was trembling in fear when he met him, and he asked, “Why are you here alone? Why isn't there anybody with you?”
2 達味回答阿希默肋客說：「君王今天吩咐我一件事，曾對說：我派你，吩咐你去作的事，別叫任何人知道。我已經和我的僮僕約定了某處見面。
“The king has given me an assignment,” David replied. “He told me ‘Nobody must know anything about the assignment I have sent you to do.’ As for my men, I've told them where to meet me.
3 現今，你手中若有五個餅，請給我，或給我別的什麼東西」。
So what do you have on hand to eat? Let me have five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”
4 司祭回答達味說：「我手中沒有普通餅，只有聖餅；但是你的僮僕們戒了女色沒有﹖」
“There's no ordinary bread,” the priest told David, “but there's some holy bread, as long as your men have not slept with any women lately.”
5 達味回答司祭說：「當然，我們戒絕了女色；我出征時，僮僕們常是身潔的；這次上路雖為了俗務，但今天他們仍是身身的」。
“We have not slept with any women,” David answered. “In fact that's the rule when I lead the troops on mission. They keep themselves pure even during ordinary missions, and all the more so right now.”
6 於是司祭就將聖餅給了他，因為那天在沒有別的餅，只有供餅；即由上主面前撤下來，為另換上新的供餅。
So the priest gave him the holy bread as they didn't have any other bread there except this “Bread of the Presence,” which had been removed from the presence of the Lord that day and replaced with fresh bread.
7 那一天，在那裏正有撒烏耳的一個臣僕留在上主面前，名叫多厄格，厄東人，是撒烏耳的侍衛長。──
One of Saul's servants happened to be there that day, trying to make himself right with the Lord. He was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief shepherd.
8 達味又對阿希默肋客說：「你手邊有沒有一支槍或一把刀﹖我的刀和我的武器，沒有帶在手邊，因為君王的事很緊急」。
“Have you got a spear or sword here?” David asked Ahimelech. “I didn't bring my sword or any of my weapons with me, because what the king needed me to do was urgent.”
9 司祭答說：「有你在厄拉谷中所殺的那培肋舍特人哥肋雅的刀。看，用外衣包著，放在「厄弗得」後面；假使你願意拿去，就拿去吧! 因為在這裏沒有別的」。達味答說：「沒有像這把刀更好的了! 就請你給我吧! 」
The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine is here—the one you killed in the Valley of Elah. It's wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. You can take it if you want. It's the only one here.” “It's better than any other sword! Please give it to me,” David replied.
10 那一天，達味起身，逃避了撒烏耳的面，到了加特王阿基士前。
David ran away from Saul that day and went to Achish, king of Gath.
11 阿基士的臣僕對王說：「這不是國王達味嗎﹖在歌舞中所歌頌的：撒烏耳殺了一千，達味殺了一萬，不就是他嗎﹖」
But Achish's officials asked the king, “Isn't this David, the king of that country? Didn't they sing about him in their dances, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
12 達味細想這些話，在加特王阿基士前感到十分恐懼。
David listened carefully to what they said and this made him very afraid of Achish, the king of Gath.
13 於是便在他們面前裝作傻子，在他們中佯作瘋子，亂敲門戶，鬍鬚上流著唾沬。
So he changed the way he acted toward them and pretended to be crazy. He scratched marks on the town gates and let his spit run down his beard.
14 阿基士對臣僕說：「他們看，這是個瘋子，為什麼送他到我這裏來﹖
Achish told his officials, “Look, you can see the man is completely mad! Why did you bring him to me?
15 難道我缺乏瘋子，你們竟領他到這裏來，向我發瘋。這樣的人豈能進入我的宮室﹖」
Is it because I need more mad people that you've brought this man to go crazy right in front of me? Do you think I'm going to let him come into my house?”
