1 Samuel 21

1 Then came David to Nob, unto Ahimelech, the priest, —and Ahimelech trembled when he met David, and said unto him—Why art thou, alone, and, no man, with thee?

And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech trembled at meeting David, and said to him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest—The king, hath charged me with a matter, and hath said unto me—Let, no man, know aught of the business on which I am sending thee, and with which I have charged thee, —But, unto the young men, have I appointed, such and such a place.

And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business whereon I send thee, and what I have commanded thee; and I have directed the young men to such and such a place.

3 Now, therefore, what is there under thy hand? Five loaves, give thou into my hand, —or, whatever can be found.

And now what is under thy hand? give me five loaves in my hand, or what may be found.

4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, —but, hallowed bread, there is, if the young men have kept themselves, at least from women.

And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy 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 withheld from us, of late, through my coming out, and the wallets of the young men have become hallowed, —while [the bread], itself, is in a manner common, and the more so since, to-day, [there are other loaves] to be hallowed, in the vessel.

And David answered the priest and said to him, Yes indeed, 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, and the more so, because to-day [new] is hallowed in the vessels.

6 So the priest gave him hallowed [bread], —because there was there no bread, save the Presence-Bread, which had to be removed from before Yahweh, to put hot bread, on the day when it should be taken away.

And the priest gave him holy [bread]; for there was no bread there but the shew-loaves that were taken from before Jehovah, to put on hot bread in the day when they were taken away.

7 Now, in that very place, was a man of the servants of Saul, on that day, detained before Yahweh, whose name, was Doeg the Edomite, —chief of the shepherds that belonged unto Saul.

(Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah; and his name was Doeg, the Edomite, chief of the shepherds that [belonged] to Saul.)

8 Then said David to Ahimelech, See whether there is here, under thy hand, a spear or a sword? for, neither my sword, nor my other weapons, did I take in my hand, for, the king’s business, was, urgent.

And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, for the king's business was urgent.

9 And the priest said: The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou didst smite in the vale of Elah, lo! that, is wrapped up in a cloth, behind the ephod, if, that, thou wilt take to thee, take it, for there is no other, save that, here. And David said—There is none, like it, give it me.

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of terebinths, 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 Then arose David, and fled, that day, from the face of Saul, —and came in unto Achish, king of Gath.

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

11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not, this, David, king of the land? Was it not, of this man, that they kept responding in the dances, saying, Saul, hath smitten his, thousands, but, David, his, tens of thousands?

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 smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

12 And David laid up these words in his heart, —and feared greatly, because of Achish king of Gath.

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

13 So he feigned himself mad, in their sight, and raged in their hand, —and struck against the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down upon his beard.

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

14 Then said Achish unto his servants, —Lo! ye can see, a madman playing his pranks, wherefore should ye bring him in, unto me?

And Achish said to his servants, Behold, ye see the man is mad: why did ye bring him to me?

15 Lacking of madmen, am I that ye should bring in this one to play his mad pranks, unto me? Shall, this, one enter my household?

have I lack of madmen, that ye have brought this one to rave in my presence? shall this [man] come into my house?