1
And Daviyd came to Nov, to Achimelekh the kohen. And Achimelekh trembled to meet Daviyd and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no ish is with you?”
2
And Daviyd said to Achimelekh the kohen, “The king commanded me a matter and said to me, ‘Let no ish know anything of the matter concerning which I send you and which I have commanded you.’ And I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.
3
And now, what is under your hand? Give into my hand five loaves of bread, or whatever is found.”
4
And the kohen answered Daviyd and said, “There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread, if only the young men have guarded themselves from ishah.”
5
And Daviyd answered the kohen and said to him, “Indeed, ishah have been withheld from us as yesterday and the third day, since I went out, and the vessels of the young men are holy. And though the way itself is common, surely today it is set apart in the vessel.”
6
And the kohen gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the face of Yahuah, to place hot bread on the day it was taken away.
7
And there was there on that day one ish from the servants of Shaul, detained before Yahuah, and his name was Doeg the Edomi, chief of the shepherds who belonged to Shaul.
8
And Daviyd said to Achimelekh, “Is there not here under your hand a spear or a sword? For neither my sword nor my weapons did I take in my hand, because the matter of the king was urgent.”
9
And the kohen said, “The sword of Golyat the Pelishti, whom you struck in the valley of Elah—see, it is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you will take that for yourself, take it, for there is no other except it here.” And Daviyd said, “There is none like it. Give it to me.”
10
And Daviyd rose and fled on that day from before the face of Shaul, and came to Akhish king of Gat.
11
And the servants of Akhish said to him, “Is this not Daviyd, king of the land? Is it not concerning this one that they answered one another in dances, saying: ‘Shaul has struck his thousands, and Daviyd his ten thousands’?”
12
And Daviyd placed these words in his heart and feared exceedingly before the face of Akhish king of Gat.
13
And he changed his judgment in their eyes and acted as a madman in their hand, and made marks upon the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down upon his beard.
14
And Akhish said to his servants, “See, you see an ish behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me?
15
Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act as a madman before my face? Shall this one come into my house?”