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?

And David comes to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech trembles at meeting David and says to him, “Why [are] you alone, and no man [is] 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.

And David says to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me [on] a matter, and he says to me, Let no man know anything of the matter about which I send you, and which I have commanded you; and [my] young men know [to go] to such and such a place.

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

And now, what is there under your hand? Give five loaves into my hand, or that which is found.”

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 answers David and says, “There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the youths have been kept 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 haec polluta est, sed et ipsa hodie sanctificabitur in vasis.

And David answers the priest and says to him, “Surely, if women have been restrained from us as before in my going out, then the vessels of the young men are holy, and it [is] a common way; and also, surely it is sanctified today in the vessel.”

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.

And the priest gives the holy thing to him, for there was no bread there except the Bread of the Presentation, which is turned aside from the presence of YHWH to put hot bread [there] in the day of its being taken away.

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

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

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 says to Ahimelech, “And is there not spear or sword here under your hand? For I have taken neither my sword nor my vessels in my hand, for the matter of the king 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.

And the priest says, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod, if you take it to yourself, take; for there is none other except it in this [place].” And David says, “There is none like it—give it to me.”

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

And David rises and flees on that day from the face of Saul, and comes 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?

and the servants of Achish say to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Is it not of this one [that] they sing in dances, saying, Saul struck among his thousands, and David among his myriads?”

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

And David lays these words in his heart, and is exceedingly afraid of the face of Achish 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.

and changes his behavior before their eyes, and feigns himself mad in their hand, and scribbles on the doors of the gate, and lets down his spittle to his beard.

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

And Achish says to his servants, “Behold, you see a man acting as a madman; why do you bring him to me?

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

Am I lacking madmen, that you have brought in this one to act as a madman before me? Does this one come into my house?”