1Samuel 21

David Runs from Saul

David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. "Why are you alone?" he asked. "Why is no one with you?"H935H1732H5011H288H3548H288H2729H7125H1732H559H3762"The king has sent me on a private matter," David said. "He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later.H1732H559H288H3548H4428H6680H1697H559H376H3045H3972H1697H7971H6680H3045H5288H6423H492H47253Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have."H3426H3027H5414H2568H3899H3027H46724"We don't have any regular bread," the priest replied. "But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently."H3548H6030H1732H559H2455H3899H3027H3426H6944H3899H5288H8104H389H8025"Don't worry," David replied. "I never allow my men to be with women when they are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!"H1732H6030H3548H559H518H802H6113H8032H8543H3318H3627H5288H6944H1870H2455H6942H3117H36276Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the LORD in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.H3548H5414H6944H3899H3899H6440H5493H6440H3068H7760H2527H3899H3117H39477Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the LORD

.H376H5650H7586H3117H6113H6440H3068H8034H1673H130H47H7462H75868David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword? The king's business was so urgent that I didn't even have time to grab a weapon!"H1732H559H288H3426H371H3027H2595H2719H3947H2719H3627H3027H4428H1697H1961H51699"I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah," the priest replied. "It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here." "There is nothing like it!" David replied. "Give it to me!"H3548H559H2719H1555H6430H5221H6010H425H3874H8071H310H646H3947H3947H312H2108H2088H1732H559H541410So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath.H1732H6965H1272H3117H6440H7586H935H397H4428H166111But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. "Isn't this David, the king of the land?" they asked. "Isn't he the one the people honor with dances, singing, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"H5650H397H559H1732H4428H776H6030H2088H4246H559H7586H5221H505H1732H723312David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him.H1732H7760H1697H3824H3966H3372H6440H397H4428H166113So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.H8138H2940H5869H1984H3027H8427H1817H8179H7388H3381H220614Finally, King Achish said to his men, "Must you bring me a madman?H559H397H5650H7200H376H7696H93515We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?"H2638H7696H935H7696H935H1004