David at Nob obtaineth of Ahimelech hallowed bread.

1 ¶ Then cameºª Davidº to Nobº to² Ahimelechº the priest:º and Ahimelechº was afraidºª at the meetingºª of David,º and saidºª unto him, Why² [art] thou² alone,² and no² manº with² thee? 2 And Davidº saidºª unto Ahimelechº the priest,º The kingº hath commandedºª me a business,º and hath saidºª unto² me, Let no² manº knowºª any thingº of² the businessº whereabout² I² sendºª thee, and what² I have commandedºª thee: and I have appointedºª [my] servantsº to² suchº and suchº a place.º 3 Now² therefore what² isº under² thine hand?º giveºª [me] fiveº [loaves of] breadº in mine hand,º or² what there is present.ºª 4 And the priestº answeredºª² David,º and said,ºª [There is] no² commonº breadº under²² mine hand,º but²² there isº hallowedº bread;º if² the young menº have kept¹ª themselves² at leastº from women.º² 5 And Davidº answeredºª² the priest,º and saidºª unto him, Of²² a truth¹ womenº [have been] keptºª from us about these threeº days,º since I came out,ºª and the vesselsº of the young menº are holy,º and [the bread is] in a mannerº common,º yea,² though² it were sanctifiedºª this dayº in the vessel.º 6 So the priestº gaveºª him hallowedº [bread]: for² there was² no² breadº there² but²² the shewbread,ºº that was takenºª from beforeº² the LORD,º to putºª hotº breadº in the dayº when it was taken away.ºª

Doeg was present.

7 Now a certain manº of the servantsº² of Saulº [was] there² that² day,º detainedºª beforeº the LORD;º and his nameº [was] Doeg,º an Edomite,º the chiefestº of the herdmenºª that² [belonged] to Saul.º

David taketh Goliath's sword.

8 ¶ And Davidº saidºª unto Ahimelech,º And is thereº notº here² under² thine handº spearº or² sword?º for² I have neither²² broughtºª my swordº nor² my weaponsº with² me,¹ because² the king'sº businessº requiredºª haste.ºª 9 And the priestº said,ºª The swordº of Goliathº the Philistine,º whom² thou slewestºª in the valleyº of Elah,º behold,² it² [is here] wrappedºª in a clothº behindº the ephod:º if² thou wilt takeºª that, takeºª [it]: for² [there is] no² otherº saveº that here.º And Davidº said,ºª [There is] none² like that; giveºª it me.

David at Gath feigneth himself mad.

10 ¶ And Davidº arose,ºª and fledºª that² dayº for fear¹ of²² Saul,º and wentºª to² Achishº the kingº of Gath.º 11 And the servantsº of Achishº saidºª unto² him, [Is] not² this² Davidº the kingº of the land?º did they not² sing¹ª one to another² of himº in dances,º saying,ºª Saulº hath slainºª his thousands,º and Davidº his ten thousands?º 12 And Davidº laid upºª² these² wordsº in his heart,º and was soreº afraidºª ofº² Achishº the kingº of Gath.º 13 And he changedºª² his behaviourº beforeº them, and feigned himself madºª in their hands,º and scrabbledºª on² the doorsº of the gate,º and let his spittleº fall downºª upon² his beard.º 14 Then saidºª Achishº unto² his servants,º Lo,² ye seeºª the manº is mad:ºª wherefore² [then] have ye broughtºª him to² me? 15 Have I² needº of mad men,ºª that² ye have broughtºª² this² [fellow] to play the mad manºª in my presence?² shall this² [fellow] comeºª into² my house?º