I Samuelis 21

1 Venit autem David in Nobe ad Achimelech sacerdotem: et obstupuit Achimelech, eo quod venisset David. Et dixit ei: Quare tu solus, et nullus est tecum?

Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, Why are thou alone, and no man with thee?

2 Et ait David ad Achimelech sacerdotem: Rex præcepit mihi sermonem, et dixit: Nemo sciat rem, propter quam missus es a me, et cuiusmodi præcepta tibi dederim: nam et pueris condixi in illum et illum locum.

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 about which I send thee, and what I have commanded thee, and I have assigned the young men to such and such a place.

3 Nunc ergo siquid habes ad manum, vel quinque panes, da mihi, aut quidquid inveneris.

Now therefore what is under thy hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is present.

4 Et respondens sacerdos ad David, ait illi: Non habeo laicos panes ad manum, sed tantum panem sanctum: si mundi sunt pueri, maxime a mulieribus?

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 Et respondit David sacerdoti, et dixit ei: Equidem, si de mulieribus agitur: continuimus nos ab heri et nudiustertius, quando egrediebamur, et fuerunt vasa puerorum sancta. porro via hæc polluta est, sed et ipsa hodie sanctificabitur in vasis.

And David answered the priest, and said to 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 today shall their vessels be holy?

6 Dedit ergo ei sacerdos sanctificatum panem. neque enim erat ibi panis, nisi tantum panes propositionis, qui sublati fuerant a facie Domini, ut ponerentur panes calidi.

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

7 Erat autem ibi vir quidam de servis Saul, in die illa, intus in tabernaculo Domini: et nomen eius Doeg Idumæus, potentissimus pastorum Saul.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the foremost of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

8 Dixit autem David ad Achimelech: Si habes hic ad manum hastam, aut gladium? quia gladium meum, et arma mea non tuli mecum. sermo enim regis urgebat.

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, because the king's business required haste.

9 Et dixit sacerdos: Ecce hic gladius Goliath Philisthæi, quem percussisti in Valle terebinthi, est involutus pallio post ephod: si istum vis tollere, tolle. neque enim hic est alius absque eo. Et ait David: Non est huic alter similis, da mihi eum.

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou killed in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou will take that, take it, for there is no other except that here. And David said, There is none like that. Give it to me.

10 Surrexit itaque David, et fugit in die illa a facie Saul: et venit ad Achis regem Geth:

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

11 dixeruntque servi Achis ad eum cum vidissent David: Numquid non iste est David rex terræ? nonne huic cantabant per choros, dicentes: Percussit Saul mille, et David decem millia?

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 slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

12 Posuit autem David sermones istos in corde suo, et extimuit valde a facie Achis regis Geth.

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

13 Et immutavit os suum coram eis, et collabebatur inter manus eorum: et impingebat in ostia portæ, defluebantque salivæ eius in barbam.

And he changed his behavior 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 Et ait Achis ad servos suos: Vidistis hominem insanum: quare adduxistis eum ad me?

Then Achish said to his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad. Why then have ye brought him to me?

15 An desunt nobis furiosi, quod introduxistis istum, ut fureret me præsente? hiccine ingredietur domum meam?

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