1 A nd David cometh in to Nob, unto Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech trembleth at meeting David, and saith to him, `Wherefore thou thyself alone, and no man 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 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;

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

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

4 A nd 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.'

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

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 A nd 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.

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 A nd there a man of the servants of Saul on that day detained before Jehovah, and his name Doeg the Edomite, chief of the shepherds whom Saul hath.

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 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.'

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 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.' And David saith, `There is none like it -- 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 A nd David riseth and fleeth on that day from the face of Saul, and cometh in unto Achish king of Gath;

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

11 a nd 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?'

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

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

13 a nd 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.

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

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

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