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?

David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek was trembling in fear when he met him, and he asked, “Why are you here alone? Why isn't there anybody with you?”

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

“The king has given me an assignment,” David replied. “He told me ‘Nobody must know anything about the assignment I have sent you to do.’ As for my men, I've told them where to meet me.

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

So what do you have on hand to eat? Let me have five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”

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?

“There's no ordinary bread,” the priest told David, “but there's some holy bread, as long as your men have not slept with any women lately.”

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 haec polluta est, sed et ipsa hodie sanctificabitur in vasis.

“We have not slept with any women,” David answered. “In fact that's the rule when I lead the troops on mission. They keep themselves pure even during ordinary missions, and all the more so right now.”

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 the holy bread as they didn't have any other bread there except this “Bread of the Presence,” which had been removed from the presence of the Lord that day and replaced with fresh bread.

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

One of Saul's servants happened to be there that day, trying to make himself right with the Lord. He was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief shepherd.

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.

“Have you got a spear or sword here?” David asked Ahimelech. “I didn't bring my sword or any of my weapons with me, because what the king needed me to do was urgent.”

9 Et dixit sacerdos: Ecce hic gladius Goliath Philisthaei, 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.

The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine is here—the one you killed in the Valley of Elah. It's wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. You can take it if you want. It's the only one here.” “It's better than any other sword! Please give it to me,” David replied.

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

David ran away from Saul that day and went to Achish, king of Gath.

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

But Achish's officials asked the king, “Isn't this David, the king of that country? Didn't they sing about him in their dances, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”

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

David listened carefully to what they said and this made him very afraid of Achish, the king of Gath.

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

So he changed the way he acted toward them and pretended to be crazy. He scratched marks on the town gates and let his spit run down his beard.

14 Et ait Achis ad servos suos: Vidistis hominem insanum: quare adduxistis eum ad me?

Achish told his officials, “Look, you can see the man is completely mad! Why did you bring him to me?

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

Is it because I need more mad people that you've brought this man to go crazy right in front of me? Do you think I'm going to let him come into my house?”