21 SHEMU'EL -1- SAMUEL 21

David With Ahimelech

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:1

  1     ^¶  Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the kohen: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no man with you?

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:2

  2    And David said to Ahimelech the kohen, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send you, and what I have commanded you: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:3

  3    Now therefore what is under your hand? give me five [loaves of] bread in my hand, or what there is present.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:4

  4    And the kohen answered David, and said, [There is] no common bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:5

  5    And David answered the kohen, and said to 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.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:6

  6    So the kohen gave him hallowed [bread]: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before YAHWEH, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:7

  7    Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before YAHWEH; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that [belonged] to Saul.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:8

  8    And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under your hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:9

  9    And the kohen said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the valley of Elah, behold, it [is here] wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if you will 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 Feigns Himself Mad

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:10

  10     ^¶  And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:11

  11    And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:12

  12    And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:13

  13    And he changed his behavior 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.

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:14

  14    Then said Achish to his servants, Lo, you see the man is mad: wherefore then have you brought him to me?

1 SHEMU'EL - 1 SAMUEL 21:15

  15    Have I need of mad men, that you have brought this [fellow] to play the mad man in my presence? shall this [fellow] come into my house?