1 ¶ Then David came 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 one with thee?

Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came trembling to meet David and said to him, “Why are you alone and no one with you?”

2 A nd David said unto Ahimelech, the priest, The king has commanded me a business and has said unto me, Let no one know anything of this business about which I send thee and what I have commanded thee, and I have appointed my servants to a certain place.

David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commissioned me with a matter and has said to me, ‘ Let no one know anything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have directed the young men to a certain place.’

3 N ow, therefore, what is under thy hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand or what there is present.

Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”

4 A nd the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread under my hand; there is only sacred bread, which I will give thee if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”

5 A nd David answered the priest and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us since yesterday and the day before yesterday since I came out, and the vessels of the young men were holy although the way is profane; how much more that today it shall be sanctified with the vessels.

David answered the priest and said to him, “ Surely women have been kept from us as previously when I set out and the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was an ordinary journey; how much more then today will their vessels be holy ?”

6 S o the priest gave him the sacred bread, for there was no bread there but the showbread that had been taken from before the LORD to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

So the priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence which was removed from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away.

7 N ow a certain man of the slaves of Saul was there that day, fulfilling a vow before the LORD, and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the principal of the pastors of Saul.

Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s shepherds.

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

David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.”

9 A nd the priest replied, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou didst overcome in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a veil behind the ephod; if thou wilt take that, take it, for there is none other except that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it to me.

Then the priest said, “ The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

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

Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath.

11 A nd the slaves of Achish said unto him, Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands?

But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?”

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

David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.

13 A nd he changed his behaviour before them and feigned himself a fool in their hands and scrabbled on the doors of the gate and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard.

14 T hen Achish said unto his slaves, Behold, ye see the man is mad; why then have ye brought him to me?

Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me?

15 H ave 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?

Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?”