21:1 Then came David to Nov to Achimelekh (אחימלך) ha kohen: and Achimelekh (אחימלך) was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why [art] thou alone, and no man with thee?
21:2 And David said unto Achimelekh (אחימלך) ha kohen, The melekh 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] avadim to such and such a place.
21:3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give [me] five [loaves of] lechem in mine hand, or what there is present.
21:4 And ha kohen answered David, and said, [There is] no common lechem under mine hand, but there is kodesh lechem; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
21:5 And David answered ha kohen, 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 set apart, and [the lechem is] in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
21:6 So ha kohen gave him kodesh [lechem]: for there was no lechem there but the Lechem hapanim, that was taken from before YHWH (יהוה), to put hot lechem in the day when it was taken away.
21:7 Now a certain man of the avadim Sha'ul [was] there that day, detained before YHWH (יהוה); and his name [was] Do'eg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that [belonged] to Sha'ul.
21:8 And David said unto Achimelekh (אחימלך), 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.
21:9 And ha kohen said, The sword of Golyat the Pelishti , whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, Hinnei, 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.
21:10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Sha'ul, and went to Achish the melekh of Gat.
21:11 And the avadim of Achish said unto him,
[Is] not this David the melekh of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Sha'ul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
21:12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the melekh of Gat.
21:13 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.
21:14 Then said Achish unto his avadim, Hinnei, ye see the man is mad: wherefore [then] have ye brought him to me?
21:15 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?