1 Samuel 21

¹ Then came David toWhere the ark then was to ask counsel of the Lord.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?

² And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, TheThese infirmities that we see in the saints of God, teach us that no one has his justice in himself, but receives it from God's mercy.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.

³ Nowe therefore if thou hast ought vnder thine hande, giue me fiue cakes of bread, or what commeth to hand.

⁴ 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 fromIf they have not accompanied with their wives.women.

⁵ 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 theThat is, their bodies.vessels of the young men are holy, and [the bread is] in a manner common, yea, though itShall be more careful to keep his vessel holy, when he has eaten of this holy food.were sanctified this day in the vessel.

⁶ So the Priest gaue him halowed bread: for there was no bread there, saue the shewe bread that was taken from before the Lord, to put hote bread there, the day that it was taken away.

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

⁸ And Dauid said vnto Ahimelech, Is there not here vnder thine hand a speare or a sworde? for I haue neither brought my sworde nor mine harnesse with me, because the Kings businesse required haste.

⁹ 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 theBehind that place where the high priests garment lay.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.

¹⁰ And David arose, andThat is, out of Saul's domain.fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

¹¹ And the seruants of Achish said vnto him, Is not this Dauid the King of the land? did they not sing vnto him in daunces, saying, Saul hath slayne his thousand, and Dauid his ten thousande?

¹² And Dauid considered these wordes, and wsa sore afraide of Achish the King of Gath.

¹³ And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, andBy making marks and toys.scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

¹⁴ Then said Achish vnto his seruants, Lo, ye see the man is beside him selfe, wherefore haue ye brought him to me?

¹⁵ Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this [fellow] to play the mad man in my presence?Is he fit to be in a king's house.shall this [fellow] come into my house?