Chapter 21

Then came⁴ David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid⁴ at the meeting² of David, and said⁴ unto him, Why [art] thou alone, and no man with thee?

And David said⁴ unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded¹⁴ me a business, and hath said⁴ unto me, Let no man know⁴ any thing of the business whereabout I send⁶ thee, and what I have commanded¹⁴ thee: and I have appointed¹⁹ [my] servants to such and such a place.

Now therefore what is under thine hand? give³ [me] five [loaves of] bread in mine hand, or what there is present.¹²

And the priest answered⁴ David, and said,⁴ [There is] no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept⁸ themselves at least from women.

And David answered⁴ the priest, and said⁴ unto him, Of a truth women [have been] kept⁷ from us about these three days, since I came out,² and the vessels of the young men are holy, and [the bread is] in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified⁴ this day in the vessel.

So the priest gave⁴ him hallowed [bread]: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, ⁶⁴⁴⁰ that was taken from⁹⁴ before the LORD, to put² hot bread in the day when it was taken away.⁹

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul [was] there that day, detained¹² before the LORD; and his name [was] Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen⁶ that [belonged] to Saul.

And David said⁴ unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought¹ my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required¹ haste.⁷

And the priest said,⁴ The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest⁵² in the valley of Elah, behold, it [is here] wrapped⁷ in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take⁴ that, take³ [it]: for [there is] no other save that here. And David said,⁴ [There is] none like that; give³ it me.

And David arose,⁴ and fled⁴ that day for fear of Saul, and went⁴ to Achish the king of Gath.

And the servants of Achish said⁴ unto him, [Is] not this David the king of the land? did they not sing⁴ one to another of him in dances, saying,² Saul hath slain⁵² his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

And David laid up⁴ these words in his heart, and was sore afraid⁴ of Achish the king of Gath.

And he changed¹⁷ his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad¹⁰⁸ in their hands, and scrabbled¹⁷ on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down⁵⁵ upon his beard.

Then said⁴ Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see⁴ the man is mad:¹⁰² wherefore [then] have ye brought⁵⁵ him to me?

Have I need of mad³⁰ men, that ye have brought⁵² this [fellow] to play the mad⁹⁹ man in my presence? shall this [fellow] come⁴ into my house?