1 Samuel 21

1 And David cometh in to Nob, unto Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech trembleth at meeting David, and saith to him, 'Wherefore [art] thou thyself alone, and no man with thee?'

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?

2 And David saith to Ahimelech the priest, 'The king hath commanded me a matter, and he saith unto me, Let no man know anything of the matter about which I am sending thee, and which I have commanded thee; and the young men I have caused to know at such and such a place;

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.

3 and now, what is there under thy hand? five loaves give into my hand, or that which is found.'

And now if there are under your hand five loaves, give into my hand what is ready.

4 And the priest answereth David, and saith, 'There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if the youths have been kept only from women.'

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].

5 And David answereth the priest, and saith to him, 'Surely, if women have been restrained from us as heretofore in my going out, then the vessels of the young men are holy, and it [is] a common way: and also, surely to-day it is sanctified in the vessel.'

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.

6 And the priest giveth to him the holy thing, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence which is turned aside from the presence of Jehovah to put hot bread in the day of its being taken away.

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.

7 And there [is] a man of the servants of Saul on that day detained before Jehovah, and his name [is] Doeg the Edomite, chief of the shepherds whom Saul hath.

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.

8 And David saith to Ahimelech, 'And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for neither my sword nor my vessels have I taken in my hand, for the matter of the king was urgent.'

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.

9 And the priest saith, 'The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou didst smite in the valley of Elah, lo, it is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod, if it thou dost take to thyself, take; for there is none other save it in this [place].' And David saith, 'There is none like it — give it to me.'

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.

10 And David riseth and fleeth on that day from the face of Saul, and cometh in unto Achish king of Gath;

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.

11 and the servants of Achish say unto him, 'Is not this David king of the land? is it not of this one they sing in dances, saying, 'Saul smote among his thousands, and David among his myriads?'

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?

12 And David layeth these words in his heart, and is exceedingly afraid of the face of Achish king of Gath,

And David laid up the words in his heart, and was greatly afraid of Anchus king of Geth.

13 and changeth his behaviour before their eyes, and feigneth himself mad in their hand, and scribbleth on the doors of the gate, and letteth down his spittle unto his beard.

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.

14 And Achish saith unto his servants, 'Lo, ye see a man acting as a madman; why do ye bring him in unto me?

And Anchus said to his servants, Behold! you see the man [is] mad: why have you brought him in to me?

15 A lack of madmen [have] I, that ye have brought in this one to act as a madman by me! doth this one come in unto my house?'

[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.