1
Then came[H935]David[H1732] to Nob[H5011] to Ahimelech[H288] the priest[H3548]: and Ahimelech[H288] was afraid[H2729] at the meeting[H7125] of David[H1732], and said[H559] unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man[H376] with thee?
2
And David[H1732]said[H559] unto Ahimelech[H288] the priest[H3548], The king[H4428] hath commanded[H6680] me a business[H1697], and hath said[H559] unto me, Let no man[H376]know[H3045] any thing[H3972] of the business[H1697] whereabout I send[H7971] thee, and what I have commanded[H6680] thee: and I have appointed[H3045] my servants[H5288] to such[H6423] and such[H492] a place[H4725].
3
Now therefore what is[H3426] under thine hand?[H3027]give[H5414] me five[H2568] loaves of bread[H3899] in mine hand[H3027], or what there is[H3426]present[H4672].
4
And the priest[H3548]answered[H6030]David[H1732], and said[H559], There is[H3426] no common[H2455]bread[H3899] under mine hand[H3027], but there is[H3426]hallowed[H6944]bread[H3899]; if the young men[H5288] have kept[H8104] themselves at least[H389] from women[H802].
5
And David[H1732]answered[H6030] the priest[H3548], and said[H559] unto him, Of a truth[H518]women[H802] have been kept[H6113] from us about these three[H8032]days[H8543], since I came out[H3318], and the vessels[H3627] of the young men[H5288] are holy[H6944], and the bread is in a manner[H1870]common[H2455], yea, though it were sanctified[H6942] this day[H3117] in the vessel[H3627].
6
So the priest[H3548]gave[H5414] him hallowed[H6944]bread[H3899]: for there was no bread[H3899] there but the shewbread[H3899], that was taken[H5493] from before[H6440] the LORD[H3068], to put[H7760]hot[H2527]bread[H3899] in the day[H3117] when it was taken[H5493]away[H3947].
7
Now a certain man[H376] of the servants[H5650] of Saul[H7586] was there that day[H3117], detained[H6113]before[H6440] the LORD[H3068]; and his name[H8034] was Doeg[H1673], an Edomite[H130], the chiefest[H47] of the herdmen[H7462] that belonged to Saul[H7586].
8
And David[H1732]said[H559] unto Ahimelech[H288], And is there[H3426]not[H371] here under thine hand[H3027]spear[H2595] or sword?[H2719] for I have neither brought[H3947] my sword[H2719] nor my weapons[H3627] with me[H3027], because the king's business[H1697]required[H1961]haste[H5169].
9
And the priest[H3548]said[H559], The sword[H2719] of Goliath[H1555] the Philistine[H6430], whom thou slewest[H5221] in the valley[H6010] of Elah[H425], behold, it is here[H2088]wrapped[H3874] in a cloth[H8071]behind[H310] the ephod[H646]: if thou wilt take[H3947] that, take[H3947] it: for there is no other[H312]save[H2108] that here[H2088]. And David[H1732]said[H559], There is none like that; give[H5414] it me.
10
And David[H1732]arose[H6965], and fled[H1272] that day[H3117] for fear[H6440] of Saul[H7586], and went[H935] to Achish[H397] the king[H4428] of Gath[H1661].
11
And the servants[H5650] of Achish[H397]said[H559] unto him[H2088], Is not this David[H1732] the king[H4428] of the land?[H776] did they not sing[H6030] one to another of him[H2088] in dances[H4246], saying[H559], Saul[H7586] hath slain[H5221] his thousands[H505], and David[H1732] his ten thousands?[H7233]
12
And David[H1732] laid up[H7760] these words[H1697] in his heart[H3824], and was sore[H3966]afraid[H3372]of[H6440]Achish[H397] the king[H4428]of[H6440]Gath[H1661].
13
And he changed[H8138] his behaviour[H2940]before[H5869] them, and feigned himself mad[H1984] in their hands[H3027], and scrabbled[H8427] on the doors[H1817] of the gate[H8179], and let his spittle[H7388] fall down[H3381] upon his beard[H2206].
14
Then said[H559]Achish[H397] unto his servants[H5650], Lo, ye see[H7200] the man[H376] is mad[H7696]: wherefore then have ye brought[H935] him to me?
15
Have I need[H2638] of mad men[H7696], that ye have brought[H935] this fellow to play the mad man[H7696] in my presence? shall this fellow come[H935] into my house?[H1004]