The bread and the sword
David went to Ahimelech the priest at Nob. Ahimelech trembled when he met him and asked: Why are you alone? Why is nobody with you? David told Ahimelech the priest: The king has given me a job and said, Nobody is to know anything about the mission I've sent you on. I've told my men where to meet me. Now then, what have you got on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can spare. The priest answered: I don't have ordinary bread on hand, only holy bread — provided your men have kept themselves from women. David answered the priest: We haven't been with women for the last three days, as usual when I go on a mission. The men's bodies are ceremonially clean, and they will be even more so today. So the priest gave David the holy bread, because there was no ordinary bread there — only the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced with fresh bread. One of Saul's servants happened to be there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief shepherd. David asked Ahimelech: Haven't you got a spear or sword here? I didn't bring my sword or any weapons because the king's business was urgent. The priest said: The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here wrapped in cloth behind the priestly apron. If you want it, take it. There's no other sword here. David said: There's none like it. Give it to me.
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelek the priest. And Ahimelek was afraid when he met David, and said to him: Why are you on your own, and no man with you? And David said to Ahimelek the priest: The king has ordered me a business and said to me: Don't let any man know anything about the business I'm sending you on and what I've ordered you. And I've set the young men to such and such a place. So now what have you got on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is. And the priest answered David: There isn't any common bread on hand, but there is holy bread — if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. And David answered the priest: Truly women have been kept from us these three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a way common, even though it was made holy today in the vessel. So the priest gave him holy bread. Because there wasn't any bread there but the bread of the Presence, that was taken from in front of the Lord to put hot bread in its place on the day it was taken away. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, kept in front of the Lord. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul. And David said to Ahimelek: And isn't there a spear or sword here on hand? Because I haven't brought my sword or my weapons with me, because the king's business needed hurry. And the priest said: The sword of Goliath the Philistine, that you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you'll take that, take it. Because there isn't any other except that here. And David said: There's nothing like it. Give it me.
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
David went to Ahimelech the priest at Nob. Ahimelech trembled when he met him and asked: Why are you alone? Why is nobody with you?
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelek the priest. And Ahimelek was afraid when he met David, and said to him: Why are you on your own, and no man with you?
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
David told Ahimelech the priest: The king has given me a job and said, Nobody is to know anything about the mission I've sent you on. I've told my men where to meet me.
And David said to Ahimelek the priest: The king has ordered me a business and said to me: Don't let any man know anything about the business I'm sending you on and what I've ordered you. And I've set the young men to such and such a place.
And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
Now then, what have you got on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can spare.
So now what have you got on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is.
Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
The priest answered: I don't have ordinary bread on hand, only holy bread — provided your men have kept themselves from women.
And the priest answered David: There isn't any common bread on hand, but there is holy bread — if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
David answered the priest: We haven't been with women for the last three days, as usual when I go on a mission. The men's bodies are ceremonially clean, and they will be even more so today.
And David answered the priest: Truly women have been kept from us these three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a way common, even though it was made holy today in the vessel.
And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
So the priest gave David the holy bread, because there was no ordinary bread there — only the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced with fresh bread.
So the priest gave him holy bread. Because there wasn't any bread there but the bread of the Presence, that was taken from in front of the Lord to put hot bread in its place on the day it was taken away.
So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
One of Saul's servants happened to be there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief shepherd.
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, kept in front of the Lord. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul.
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
David asked Ahimelech: Haven't you got a spear or sword here? I didn't bring my sword or any weapons because the king's business was urgent.
And David said to Ahimelek: And isn't there a spear or sword here on hand? Because I haven't brought my sword or my weapons with me, because the king's business needed hurry.
And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.
The priest said: The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here wrapped in cloth behind the priestly apron. If you want it, take it. There's no other sword here. David said: There's none like it. Give it to me.
And the priest said: The sword of Goliath the Philistine, that you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you'll take that, take it. Because there isn't any other except that here. And David said: There's nothing like it. Give it me.
And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
David at Gath
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. Achish's servants said: Isn't this David, king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands? David took those words to heart and became very afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he changed his behaviour before them and pretended to be mad in their hands, scribbling on the doors of the gate and letting spit run down his beard. Achish said to his servants: Look at him — the man is mad. Why have you brought him to me? Don't I have enough madmen already, Achish said, without you bringing this fellow to act mad in front of me? Is this man supposed to come into my house?
And David got up and ran that day from Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him: Isn't this David the king of the land? Didn't they sing to each other about him in dances: Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David laid up these words in his heart, and was very frightened of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed how he acted in front of them and made out he was mad in their hands, and scratched on the doors of the gate and let his spit run down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants: Look — you see the man is mad. So why have you brought him to me? Have I got a shortage of madmen, that you've brought this one to act mad in front of me? Should this one come into my house?
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.
And David got up and ran that day from Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
Achish's servants said: Isn't this David, king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?
And the servants of Achish said to him: Isn't this David the king of the land? Didn't they sing to each other about him in dances: Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
David took those words to heart and became very afraid of Achish king of Gath.
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was very frightened of Achish the king of Gath.
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
So he changed his behaviour before them and pretended to be mad in their hands, scribbling on the doors of the gate and letting spit run down his beard.
And he changed how he acted in front of them and made out he was mad in their hands, and scratched on the doors of the gate and let his spit run down on his beard.
And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
Achish said to his servants: Look at him — the man is mad. Why have you brought him to me?
Then Achish said to his servants: Look — you see the man is mad. So why have you brought him to me?
Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
Don't I have enough madmen already, Achish said, without you bringing this fellow to act mad in front of me? Is this man supposed to come into my house?
Have I got a shortage of madmen, that you've brought this one to act mad in front of me? Should this one come into my house?
Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?