¹ Then came David 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 David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know 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 is present.

⁴ And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

⁵ And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

⁶ So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

⁷ Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.

⁸ And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

⁹ And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.

¹⁰ And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

¹¹ And the servants of Achish said 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 sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

¹³ And he changed his behavior before 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 said Achish 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?

---

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 present. ^H4672

⁴ And the priest ^H3548 answered ^H6030 David, ^H1732 and said, ^H559 There is 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: for there was no bread ^H3899 there but the shewbread, ^{H3899 H6440} 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 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 ^H4428 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 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, 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 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

---

¹ Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

² And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.

³ Now therefore what is under thy hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatsoever there is present.

⁴ And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.

⁵ And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day shall their vessels be holy?

⁶ So the priest gave him holy `bread'; for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before Jehovah, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

⁷ Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul.

⁸ And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

⁹ And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.

¹⁰ And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

¹¹ And the servants of Achish said 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 sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

¹³ And he changed his behavior before 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 said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad; wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

¹⁵ Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

---

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

² And 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;

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

⁴ And 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.'

⁵ And 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 `is' a common way: and also, surely to-day it is sanctified in the vessel.'

⁶ And 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.

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

⁸ And 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.'

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

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

¹¹ and 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?'

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

¹³ and 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.

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

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

---

¹ And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech trembled at meeting David, and said to him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

² And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business whereon I send thee, and what I have commanded thee; and I have directed the young men to such and such a place.

³ And now what is under thy hand? give me five loaves in my hand, or what may be found.

⁴ And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

⁵ And David answered the priest and said to him, Yes indeed, women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the [bread] is in a manner common, and the more so, because to-day [new] is hallowed in the vessels.

⁶ And the priest gave him holy [bread]; for there was no bread there but the shew-loaves that were taken from before Jehovah, to put on hot bread in the day when they were taken away.

⁷ (Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah; and his name was Doeg, the Edomite, chief of the shepherds that [belonged] to Saul.)

⁸ And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, for the king's business was urgent.

⁹ And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of terebinths, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that: give it me.

¹⁰ And David arose, and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

¹¹ And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

¹² And David took to heart these words, and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

¹³ And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.

¹⁴ And Achish said to his servants, Behold, ye see the man is mad: why did ye bring him to me?

¹⁵ have I lack of madmen, that ye have brought this one to rave in my presence? shall this [man] come into my house?

---

¹ Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no man with you?

² David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you: and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.

³ Now therefore what is under your hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is present.

⁴ The priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.

⁵ David answered the priest, and said to him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then today shall their vessels be holy?

⁶ So the priest gave him holy [bread]; for there was no bread there but the show bread, that was taken from before Yahweh, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

⁷ Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

⁸ David said to Ahimelech, Isn't there here under your hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

⁹ The priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here. David said, There is none like that; give it me.

¹⁰ David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

¹¹ The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David the king of the land? Didn't they sing one to another about him in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"

¹² David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

¹³ He changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.

¹⁴ Then said Achish to his servants, Look, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me?

¹⁵ Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

---

¹ Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was full of fear at meeting David, and said to him, Why are you by yourself, having no man with you?

² And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has given me orders and has said to me, Say nothing to anyone about the business on which I am sending you and the orders I have given you: and a certain place has been fixed to which the young men are to go.

³ So now, if you have here five cakes of bread, give them into my hand, or whatever you have.

⁴ And the priest, answering David, said, I have no common bread here but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.

⁵ And David in answer said to the priest, Certainly women have been kept from us; and as has been done before when I have gone out the arms of the young men were made holy, even though it was a common journey; how much more today will their arms be made holy.

⁶ So the priest gave him the holy bread: there was no other, only the holy bread which had been taken from before the Lord, so that new bread might be put in its place on the day when it was taken away.

⁷ Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, kept back before the Lord; his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the strongest of Saul's runners.

⁸ And David said to Ahimelech, Have you no sword or spear with you here? for I have come without my sword and other arms, because the king's business had to be done quickly.

⁹ And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you put to death in the valley of Elah, is here folded in a cloth at the back of the ephod: take that, if you will, for there is no other sword here. And David said, there is no other sword like that; give it to me.

¹⁰ Then David got up and went in flight that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish, the king of Gath.

¹¹ And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David, the king of the land? did they not make songs about him in their dances, saying, Saul has put to death thousands, and David tens of thousands?

¹² And David took these words to heart, fearing Achish, the king of Gath.

¹³ So changing his behaviour before them, he made it seem as if he was off his head, hammering on the doors of the town, and letting the water from his mouth go down his chin.

¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, Look! the man is clearly off his head; why have you let him come before me?

¹⁵ Are there not enough unbalanced men about me, that you have let this person come and do such tricks before me? is such a man to come into my house?