1 Samuel 21 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David Takes Consecrated Bread

Then David^H1732 came^H935 to Nob^H5011 to Ahimelech^H288 the priest^H3548; and Ahimelech^H288 came^H2729 trembling^H2729 to meet^H7122 David^H1732 and said^H559 to him, “Why^H4069 are you alone^H905, and no^H369 one^H376 is with you?”

1Sa 21:2

1Sa 21:2And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me with a matter and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commanded you; and I have directed the young men to a certain place.’

1Sa 21:3

1Sa 21:3“So now, what [fn]do you have on hand? Give five loaves of bread into my hand, or whatever can be found.”

1Sa 21:4

1Sa 21:4And the priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread [fn]on hand, but there is consecrated bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”

1Sa 21:5

1Sa 21:5And David answered the priest and said to him, “Surely women have been kept from us as previously when I set out and the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was an ordinary journey; how much more then today will [fn]their vessels be holy?”

1Sa 21:6

1Sa 21:6So the priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence which was removed from before Yahweh, in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away.

1Sa 21:7

Now one^H376 of the servants^H5650 of Saul^H7586 was there^H8033 that day^H3117, detained^H6113 before^H6440 Yahweh^H3068; and his name^H8034 was Doeg^H1673 the Edomite^H130, the chief^H47 of Saul’s^H7586 shepherds^H7462.

1Sa 21:8

And David^H1732 said^H559 to Ahimelech^H288, “Now is^H3426 there^H3426 not a spear^H2595 or^H176 a sword^H2719 [fn]on hand^H3027? For I brought^H3947 neither^H1571^H3808 my sword^H2719 nor^H1571 my weapons^H3627 in my hand^H3027 because^H3588 the king’s^H4428 matter^H1697 was urgent^H5169.”

1Sa 21:9

1Sa 21:9Then the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David Flees to Gath

1Sa 21:10

Then David^H1732 arose^H6965 and fled^H1272 that day^H3117 from Saul^H7586 and went^H935 to Achish^H397 king^H4428 of Gath^H1661.

1Sa 21:11

1Sa 21:11But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

‘Saul^H7586 has struck^H5221 his thousands^H505,

And David^H1732 his ten^H7233 thousands^H7233’?”

1Sa 21:12

And David^H1732 took^H7760 these^H428 words^H1697 [fn]to heart^H3824 and greatly^H3966 feared^H3372 Achish^H397 king^H4428 of Gath^H1661.

1Sa 21:13

1Sa 21:13So he disguised his sanity in their sight and acted insanely in their hands and scribbled on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down into his beard.

1Sa 21:14