1 Samuel 21

1And David cometh in to Nob, unto Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech trembleth at meeting David, and saith to him, `Wherefore <FI>art<Fi> thou thyself alone, and no man with thee?'

1And David came to Nobe, to Achimelech, the priest and Achimelech was astonished at David's coming. And he said to him: Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

2And David saith to Ahimelech the priest, `The king hath commanded me a matter, and he saith unto me, Let no man know anything of the matter about which I am sending thee, and which I have commanded thee; and the young men I have caused to know at such and such a place;

2And David said to Achimelech, the priest: The king hath commanded me a business, and said: Let no man know the thing for which thou art sent by me, and what manner of commands I have given thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

3and now, what is there under thy hand? five loaves give into my hand, or that which is found.'

3Now therefore if thou have any thing at hand, though it were but five loaves, give me, or whatsoever thou canst find.

4And the priest answereth David, and saith, `There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if the youths have been kept only from women.'

4And the priest answered David, saying: I have no common bread at hand, but only holy bread, if the young men be clean, especially from women?

5And David answereth the priest, and saith to him, `Surely, if women have been restrained from us as heretofore in my going out, then the vessels of the young men are holy, and it <FI>is<Fi> a common way: and also, surely to-day it is sanctified in the vessel.'

5And David answered the priest, and said to him: Truly, as to what concerneth women, we have refrained ourselves from yesterday and the day before, when we came out, and the vessels of the young men were holy. Now this way is defiled, but it shall also be sanctified this day in the vessels.

6And the priest giveth to him the holy thing, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence which is turned aside from the presence of Jehovah to put hot bread in the day of its being taken away.

6The priest therefore gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there, but only the loaves of proposition, which had been taken away from before the face of the Lord, that hot loaves might be set up.

7And there <FI>is<Fi> a man of the servants of Saul on that day detained before Jehovah, and his name <FI>is<Fi> Doeg the Edomite, chief of the shepherds whom Saul hath.

7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, within the tabernacle of the Lord: and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of Saul's herdsmen.

8And David saith to Ahimelech, `And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for neither my sword nor my vessels have I taken in my hand, for the matter of the king was urgent.'

8And David said to Achimelech: Hast thou here at hand a spear, or a sword? for I brought not my own sword, nor my own weapons with me, for the king's business required haste.

9And the priest saith, `The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou didst smite in the valley of Elah, lo, it is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod, if it thou dost take to thyself, take; for there is none other save it in this <FI> place<Fi> .' And David saith, `There is none like it--give it to me.'

9And the priest said: Lo, here is the sword of Goliath, the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Terebinth, wrapped up in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take this, take it, for here there is no other but this. And David said: There is none like that, give it me.

10And David riseth and fleeth on that day from the face of Saul, and cometh in unto Achish king of Gath;

10And David arose and fled that day from the face of Saul: and came to Achis, the king of Geth:

11and the servants of Achish say unto him, `Is not this David king of the land? is it not of this one they sing in dances, saying, `Saul smote among his thousands, and David among his myriads?'

11And the servants of Achis, when they saw David, said to him: Is not this David, the king of the land? Did they not sing to him in their dances, saying: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

12And David layeth these words in his heart, and is exceedingly afraid of the face of Achish king of Gath,

12But David laid up these words in his heart, and was exceedingly afraid at the face of Achis, the king of Geth.

13and changeth his behaviour before their eyes, and feigneth himself mad in their hand, and scribbleth on the doors of the gate, and letteth down his spittle unto his beard.

13And he changed his countenance before them, and slipt down between their hands: and he stumbled against the doors of the gate, and his spittle ran down upon his beard.

14And Achish saith unto his servants, `Lo, ye see a man acting as a madman; why do ye bring him in unto me?

14And Achis said to his servants: You saw the man was mad: why have you brought him to me?

15A lack of madmen <FI>have<Fi> I, that ye have brought in this one to act as a madman by me! doth this one come in unto my house?'

15Have we need of mad men, that you have brought in this fellow, to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?