1 Samuel 21

1 Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was shaking in fear when he met David, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one with you?"

And David came to Nob to Achimelech the priest; and Achimelech hastened trembling to meet David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man is with thee?

2 And David said to the priest, "The king has given me orders, and he instructed me, 'No one must know of the matter about which I send you, or about your orders; and I have arranged to meet the young men at a certain place.'

And David said unto Achimelech the priest, The king commanded me a business, and said unto me, Let not any man know the least of the business concerning which I send thee, and which I have commanded thee. And the young men have I appointed to such and such a place.

3 Now, if there are five loaves of bread under your control, give them into my hand, or whatever there is."

And now what hast thou on hand: put five loaves of bread into my hand, or what else can be found.

4 And the priest answered David, and said, "There is no common bread in my control, but there is holy bread. If the young men have kept themselves from women, they may eat of it."

And the priest answered David, and said, I have no common bread on hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have only withheld themselves from women.

5 And David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly women have been kept from us as always when I set out. All the young men are holy, even when it is an ordinary mission. So how much more today will their vessels be holy?"

And David answered the priest and said to him, To a certainty women have been denied us yesterday and the day before, when I went forth, and the vessels of the young men were holy: and if this was the custom with unholy things, how much more will it remain this day holy in the vessels.

6 So the priest gave him what had been consecrated, for there was no bread there but the show bread, that had been removed before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

So the priest gave him hallowed bread; for there was no bread there except the showbread, that was removed from before the Lord, so as to put down hot bread on 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 the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there on that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, the Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul.

8 David said to Ahimelech, "Isn't there here under your control spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste."

And David said unto Achimelech, Hast thou not also here at hand a spear or sword: for both my sword as also my other weapons have I not brought with me, because the king's business was urgent.

9 The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, look, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind an ephod. If you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here." David said, "There is none like that. Give it to me."

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

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

And David arose, and fled on that day from before Saul, and came to Achish the king of Gath.

11 The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another about him in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"

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

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

And David took these words to his heart, and was greatly afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13 He changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and drummed on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard.

And he disguised his reason before their eyes, and played the madman in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down upon his beard.

14 Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?

Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see, the man is mad: wherefore then will ye bring him to me?

15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"

Have I lack of madmen, that ye have brought this man to play his pranks about me? shall this one come into my house?