Kings I 21
1 And David comes to Nomba to Abimelech the priest: and Abimelech was amazed at meeting him, and said to him, Why [are] you alone, and nobody with you?
Forsothe Dauid cam in to Nobe to Achimelech preest; and Achymelech wondrid, for Dauid `hadde come; and he seide to Dauid, Whi art thou aloone, and no man is with thee?
2 And David said to the priest, The king gave me a command today, and said to me, Let no one know the matter on which I send you, an concerning which I have charged you: and I have charged my servants [to be] in the place that is called, The faithfulness of God, Phellani Maemoni.
And Dauid seide to Achymelech preest, The kyng comaundide to me a word, and seide, No man wite the thing, for which thou art sent fro me, and what maner comaundementis Y yaf to thee; for Y seide also to children, that thei schulden go in to that `and that place;
3 And now if there are under your hand five loaves, give into my hand what is ready.
now therfor if thou hast ony thing at hond, ether fyue looues, yyue thou to me, ether what euer thing thou fyndist.
4 And the priest answered David, and said, There are no common loaves under my hand, for I have none but holy loaves: if the young men have been kept at least from women, then they shall eat [them].
And the preest answeride to Dauid, and seide to hym, Y haue `not lewid, `that is, comyn, looues at hoond, but oneli hooli breed; whether the children ben clene, and moost of wymmen?
5 And David answered the priest, and said to him, Yes, we have been kept from women for three days: when I came forth for the journey all the young men were purified; but this expedition is unclean, therefore it shall be sanctified this day because of my weapons.
And Dauid answeride to the preest, and seide to hym, And sotheli if it is doon of wymmen, we absteyneden vs fro yistirdai and the thridde dai ago, whanne we yeden out, and the `vessels, that is, bodies, of the children weren cleene; forsothe this weie is defoulyd, but also that schal be halewid to dai in the vessels.
6 So Abimelech the priest gave him the show bread; for there were no loaves there, but only the presence loaves which had been removed from the presence of the Lord, in order that hot bread should be set on, on the day on which he took them.
Therfor the preest yaf to hym halewid breed, for noon other breed was there, no but oneli looues of settyng forth, that weren takun awey fro the face of the Lord, that hoote looues schulen be set.
7 And there was there on that day one of Saul's servants detained before the Lord, and his name [was] Doec the Syrian, tending the mules of Saul.
Forsothe sum man of the seruauntis of Saul was there with ynne in the tabernacle of the Lord; and his name was Doech of Ydumee, the myytiest of the scheepherdis, `that is, iugis, of Saul.
8 And David said to Abimelech, See if there is here under your hand spear or sword, for I have not brought in my hand my sword or my weapons, for the word of the king was urgent.
Forsothe Dauid seide to Achymelech, If thou hast `here at hond spere, ether swerd, yyue to me; for Y took not with me my swerd and myn armeris; for the `word of the kyng constreynede me.
9 And the priest said, Behold the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck in the valley of Ela; and it is wrapt in a cloth: if you will take it, take it for yourself, for there is no other except it here. And David said, Behold, there is none like it; give it me.
And the preest seide, Lo! here the swerd of Goliath Filistei, whom thou killidst in the valey of Terebynte, is wlappid in a cloth aftir ephoth; if thou wolt take this, take thou; for here is noon other outakun that. And Dauid seide, Noon other is lijk this, yyue thou it to me.
10 And he gave it him; and David arose, and fled in that day from he presence of Saul: and David came to Anchus king of Geth.
Therfor Dauid roos, `and fledde in that dai fro the face of Saul, and cam to Achis, the kyng of Geth.
11 And the servants of Anchus said to him, [Is] not this David the king of the land? Did not the dancing women begin the son to him, saying, Saul has struck his thousand, and David his ten thousands?
And the seruauntis of Achis seiden to hym, whanne thei hadden seyn Dauid, Whether this is not Dauid, kyng of the lond? Whether thei sungen not to hym bi queeris, and seiden, Saul smoot a thousynde, and Dauid smoot ten thousynde?
12 And David laid up the words in his heart, and was greatly afraid of Anchus king of Geth.
Sotheli Dauid puttide these wordis `in his herte, and he dredde greetli of the face of Achis, kyng of Geth.
13 And he changed his appearance before him, and feigned himself a false character in that day; and drummed upon the doors of the city, and used extravagant gestures with his hands, and fell against the doors of the gate, and his spittle ran down upon his beard.
And Dauid chaungide his mouth bifor Achis, and felde doun bitwixe her hondis, and he hurtlide ayens the doris of the yate, and his drauelis, `that is, spotelis, flowiden doun in to the beerd.
14 And Anchus said to his servants, Behold! you see the man [is] mad: why have you brought him in to me?
And Achis seide to hise seruauntis, Seen ye the wood man? why brouyten ye hym to me?
15 [Am] I in lack of madmen, that you have brought him in to me to play the madman? He shall not come into the house.
whether wood men failen to vs? whi han ye brouyt in hym, that he schulde be wood, while Y am present? Delyuere ye hym fro hennus, lest he entre in to myn hows.
