1
Then cameDavid to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2
And Davidsaid unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no manknow any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
3
Now therefore what is under thine hand?give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there ispresent.
4
And the priestansweredDavid, and said, There is no commonbread under mine hand, but there ishallowedbread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5
And Davidanswered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truthwomen have been kept from us about these threedays, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a mannercommon, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6
So the priestgave him hallowedbread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to puthotbread in the day when it was takenaway.
7
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detainedbefore the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
8
And Davidsaid unto Ahimelech, And is therenot here under thine handspear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's businessrequiredhaste.
9
And the priestsaid, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is herewrapped in a clothbehind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no othersave that here. And Davidsaid, There is none like that; give it me.
10
And Davidarose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11
And the servants of Achishsaid unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was soreafraidofAchish the kingofGath.
13
And he changed his behaviourbefore 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
Then saidAchish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15
Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?