1 T hen David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no man with you?”

David came to Ahimelech the religious leader at Nob. Ahimelech came shaking in fear to meet David, and said to him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

2 D avid said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me to do something, and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you. I have sent the young men to a certain place.’

David said to Ahimelech the religious leader, “The king has given me something to do. And he has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about what I have sent you to do.’ I have told the young men to meet at a certain place.

3 N ow therefore what is under your hand? Please give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever is available.”

Now, what do you have ready? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you may have.”

4 T he priest answered David, and said, “I have no common bread, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”

The religious leader answered David, “I only have bread which has been set apart as holy, if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”

5 D avid answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?”

And David told the religious leader, “For sure women have been kept from us while we have traveled. The bodies of the young men are holy even on everyday trips. How much more they are today!”

6 S o 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.

So the religious leader gave him holy bread. For there was no bread there but the bread before the Lord. It was taken from before the Lord, so hot bread could be put in its place.

7 N ow 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.

Now one of Saul’s servants happened to be there that day. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the head of Saul’s shepherds.

8 D avid 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.”

David said to Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or a sword? I did not bring my sword or any spears with me, because I had to hurry to do the king’s work.”

9 T he priest said, “Behold, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you would like to take that, take it; for there is no other except that here.” David said, “There is none like that. Give it to me.”

The religious leader said, “The sword is here that belonged to Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah. See, it is behind the linen vest, with a cloth around it. Take it, if you will. For it is the only one here.” And David said, “There is none like it. Give it to me.”

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

Then David got up and ran that day from Saul. He went to Achish king of Gath.

11 T he servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing to one another about him in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?’”

The servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to each other about him as they danced, saying, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”

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

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

13 H e changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be insane in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.

So he changed the way he acted in front of them. He pretended to be crazy while he was with them. He made marks on the doors of the gate. He let his spit run down into the hair of his face.

14 T hen Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?

Then Achish said to his servants, “See, you see the man is crazy. Why have you brought him to me?

15 D o I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should this fellow come into my house?”

Do I need any crazy men, that you bring this one to act crazy in front of me? Will this one come into my house?”