1Then came935 David1732 to Nob5011 to Ahimelech288 the priest3548: and Ahimelech288 was afraid2729 at the meeting7125 of David1732, and said559 unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man376 with thee?
2And David1732 said559 unto Ahimelech288 the priest3548, The king4428 hath commanded6680 me a business1697, and hath said559 unto me, Let no man376 know3045 any thing3972 of the business1697 whereabout I send7971 thee, and what I have commanded6680 thee: and I have appointed3045 my servants5288 to such6423 and such492 a place4725.
3Now therefore what is3426 under thine hand3027? give5414 me five2568 loaves of bread3899 in mine hand3027, or what there is present4672.
4And the priest3548 answered6030 David1732, and said559, There is no common2455 bread3899 under mine hand3027, but there is3426 hallowed6944 bread3899; if the young men5288 have kept8104 themselves at least389 from women802.
5And David1732 answered6030 the priest3548, and said559 unto him, Of a truth518 women802 have been kept6113 from us about these three8032 days8543, since I came out3318, and the vessels3627 of the young men5288 are holy6944, and the bread is in a manner1870 common2455, yea, though it were sanctified6942 this day3117 in the vessel3627.
6So the priest3548 gave5414 him hallowed6944 bread: for there was no bread3899 there but the shewbread3899 6440, that was taken5493 from before6440 the LORD3068, to put7760 hot2527 bread3899 in the day3117 when it was taken away3947.
7Now a certain man376 of the servants5650 of Saul7586 was there that day3117, detained6113 before6440 the LORD3068; and his name8034 was Doeg1673, an Edomite130, the chiefest47 of the herdmen7462 that belonged to Saul7586.
8And David1732 said559 unto Ahimelech288, And is there3426 not371 here under thine hand3027 spear2595 or sword2719? for I have neither brought3947 my sword2719 nor my weapons3627 with me3027, because the king's4428 business1697 required1961 haste5169.
9And the priest3548 said559, The sword2719 of Goliath1555 the Philistine6430, whom thou slewest5221 in the valley6010 of Elah425, behold, it is here wrapped3874 in a cloth8071 behind310 the ephod646: if thou wilt take3947 that, take3947 it: for there is no other312 save2108 that here2088. And David1732 said559, There is none like that; give5414 it me.
10And David1732 arose6965, and fled1272 that day3117 for fear6440 of Saul7586, and went935 to Achish397 the king4428 of Gath1661.
11And the servants5650 of Achish397 said559 unto him, Is not this David1732 the king4428 of the land776? did they not sing6030 one to another of him2088 in dances4246, saying559, Saul7586 hath slain5221 his thousands505, and David1732 his ten thousands7233?
12And David1732 laid up7760 these words1697 in his heart3824, and was sore3966 afraid3372 of6440 Achish397 the king4428 of Gath1661.
13And he changed8138 his behaviour2940 before5869 them, and feigned himself mad1984 in their hands3027, and scrabbled8427 on the doors1817 of the gate8179, and let his spittle7388 fall down3381 upon his beard2206.
14Then said559 Achish397 unto his servants5650, Lo, ye see7200 the man376 is mad7696: wherefore then have ye brought935 him to me?
15Have I need2638 of mad men7696, that ye have brought935 this fellow to play the mad man7696 in my presence? shall this fellow come935 into my house1004?