撒母耳記上 21

1 大衛到了挪伯祭司亞希米勒那裏，亞希米勒戰戰兢兢地出來迎接他，問他說：「你為甚麼獨自來，沒有人跟隨呢？」

Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him: 'Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?'

2 大衛回答祭司亞希米勒說：「王吩咐我一件事說：『我差遣你委託你的這件事，不要使人知道。』故此我已派定少年人在某處等候我。

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest: 'The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me: Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee; and the young men have I appointed to such and such a place.

3 現在你手下有甚麼？求你給我五個餅或是別樣的食物。」

Now therefore what is under thy hand? five loaves of bread? give them in my hand, or whatsoever there is present.'

4 祭司對大衛說：「我手下沒有尋常的餅，只有聖餅；若少年人沒有親近婦人才可以給。」

And the priest answered David, and said: 'There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.'

5 大衛對祭司說：「實在約有三日我們沒有親近婦人；我出來的時候，雖是尋常行路，少年人的器皿還是潔淨的；何況今日不更是潔淨嗎？」

And David answered the priest, and said unto him: 'Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day, when there shall be holy bread in their vessels?'

6 祭司就拿聖餅給他；因為在那裏沒有別樣餅，只有更換新餅，從耶和華面前撤下來的陳設餅。 （

So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. —

7 當日有掃羅的一個臣子留在耶和華面前。他名叫多益，是以東人，作掃羅的司牧長。）

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. —

8 大衛問亞希米勒說：「你手下有槍有刀沒有？因為王的事甚急，連刀劍器械我都沒有帶。」

And David said unto Ahimelech: 'And is there peradventure here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.'

9 祭司說：「你在以拉谷殺非利士人歌利亞的那刀在這裏，裹在布中，放在以弗得後邊，你要就可以拿去；除此以外，再沒有別的。」大衛說：「這刀沒有可比的！求你給我。」

And the priest said: 'The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here.' And David said: 'There is none like that; give it me.'

10 那日大衛起來，躲避掃羅，逃到迦特王亞吉那裏。

And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

11 亞吉的臣僕對亞吉說：「這不是以色列國王大衛嗎？那裏的婦女跳舞唱和，不是指着他說『掃羅殺死千千，大衛殺死萬萬』嗎？」

And the servants of Achish said unto him: 'Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?'

12 大衛將這話放在心裏，甚懼怕迦特王亞吉，

And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13 就在眾人面前改變了尋常的舉動，在他們手下假裝瘋癲，在城門的門扇上胡寫亂畫，使唾沫流在鬍子上。

And he changed his demeanour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

14 亞吉對臣僕說：「你們看，這人是瘋子。為甚麼帶他到我這裏來呢？

Then said Achish unto his servants: 'Lo, when ye see a man that is mad, wherefore do ye bring him to me?

15 我豈缺少瘋子，你們帶這人來在我面前瘋癲嗎？這人豈可進我的家呢？」

Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?'