1 Samuel 21
Catholic Public Domain Version
1Then David went into Nob, to the priest Ahimelech. And Ahimelech was astonished that David had arrived. And he said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”
2And David said to the priest Ahimelech: “The king has instructed to me a word, and he said: ‘Let no one know the matter about which you have been sent by me, and what type of instructions I have given to you. For I have also summoned servants to one and another place.’
3Now therefore, if you have anything at hand, even five loaves of bread, or whatever you may find, give it to me.”
4And the priest, responding to David, said to him: “I have no common bread at hand, but only holy bread. Are the young men clean, especially from women?”
5And David responded to the priest, and said to him: “Indeed, as concerns being with women, we have abstained since yesterday and the day before, when we departed, and so the vessels of the young men have been holy. And although, this journey has been defiled, it will also be sanctified today as concerns the vessels.”
6Therefore, the priest gave to him sanctified bread. For there was no bread there, but only the bread of the Presence, which had been taken away from before the face of the Lord, so that fresh loaves might be set up.
7Now a certain man among the servants of Saul was there on that day, inside the tabernacle of the Lord. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the most powerful among the shepherds of Saul.
8Then David said to Ahimelech: “Do you have, here at hand, a spear or a sword? For I did not take my own sword, or my own weapons with me. For the word of the king was urgent.”
9And the priest said: “Behold, here is the sword of Goliath, the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Terebinth. It is wrapped up in a cloak behind the ephod. If you wish to take this, take it. For there is nothing else here except this.” And David said, “There is nothing else like this, so give it to me.”
10And so, David rose up, and he fled on that day from the face of Saul. And he went to Achish, the king of Gath.
11And the servants of Achish, when they had seen David, said to him: “Is this not David, the king of the land? Were they not singing about him, while dancing, saying, ‘Saul has struck down a thousand, and David ten thousand?’ ”
12Then David took these words to his heart, and he became exceedingly afraid before the face of Achish, the king of Gath.
13And he altered his mouth before them, and he slipped down between their hands. And he stumbled against the doors of the gate. And his spit flowed down his beard.
14And Achish said to his servants: “You saw that the man is insane. Why did you bring him to me?
15Or do we have need of those who are mad, so that you would bring in this one, to behave madly in my presence? How did this man get into my house?”
Reina-Valera 1909
1Y VINO David á Nob, á Ahimelech sacerdote: y sorprendióse Ahimelech de su encuentro, y díjole: ¿Cómo tú solo, y nadie contigo?
2Y respondió David al sacerdote Ahimelech: El rey me encomendó un negocio, y me dijo: Nadie sepa cosa alguna de este negocio á que yo te envío, y que yo te he mandado; y yo señalé á los criados un cierto lugar.
3Ahora pues, ¿qué tienes á mano? dame cinco panes, ó lo que se hallare.
4Y el sacerdote respondió á David, y dijo: No tengo pan común á la mano; solamente tengo pan sagrado: mas lo daré si los criados se han guardado mayormente de mujeres.
5Y David respondió al sacerdote, y díjole: Cierto las mujeres nos han sido reservadas desde anteayer cuando salí, y los vasos de los mozos fueron santos, aunque el camino es profano: cuanto más que hoy habrá otro pan santificado en los vasos.
6Así el sacerdote le dió el pan sagrado, porque allí no había otro pan que los panes de la proposición, los cuales habían sido quitados de delante de Jehová, para que se pusiesen panes calientes el día que los otros fueron quitados.
7Aquel día estaba allí uno de los siervos de Saúl detenido delante de Jehová, el nombre del cual era Doeg, Idumeo, principal de los pastores de Saúl.
8Y David dijo á Ahimelech: ¿No tienes aquí á mano lanza ó espada? porque no tomé en mi mano mi espada ni mis armas, por cuanto el mandamiento del rey era apremiante.
9Y el sacerdote respondió: La espada de Goliath el Filisteo, que tú venciste en el valle del Alcornoque, está aquí envuelta en un velo detrás del ephod: si tú quieres tomarla, tómala: porque aquí no hay otra sino esa. Y dijo David: Ninguna como ella: dámela.
10Y levantándose David aquel día, huyó de la presencia de Saúl, y vínose á Achîs rey de Gath.
11Y los siervos de Achîs le dijeron: ¿No es éste David, el rey de la tierra? ¿no es éste á quien cantaban en corros, diciendo: Hirió Saúl sus miles, y David sus diez miles?
12Y David puso en su corazón estas palabras, y tuvo gran temor de Achîs rey de Gath.
13Y mudó su habla delante de ellos, y fingióse loco entre sus manos, y escribía en las portadas de las puertas, dejando correr su saliva por su barba.
14Y dijo Achîs á sus siervos: He aquí estáis viendo un hombre demente; ¿por qué lo habéis traído á mí?
15¿Fáltanme á mí locos, para que hayáis traído éste que hiciese del loco delante de mí? ¿había de venir éste á mi casa?
King James Version
1Then came David to 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?
2And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The 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.
3Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
4And 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 from women.
5And 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 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.
6So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
8And David said unto Ahimelech, 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.
9And 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 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.
10And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13And 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.
14Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15Have 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?
World English Bible
1Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no man with you?”
2David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me to do something, and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you. I have sent the young men to a certain place.’
3Now therefore what is under your hand? Please give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever is available.”
4The priest answered David, and said, “I have no common bread, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”
5David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?”
6So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread that was taken from before the LORD, to be replaced with hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
8David said to Ahimelech, “Isn’t there here under your hand spear or sword? For I haven’t brought my sword or my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”
9The priest said, “Behold, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you would like to take that, take it, for there is no other except that here.” David said, “There is none like that. Give it to me.”
10David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing to one another about him in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
12David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13He changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
14Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?
15Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should this fellow come into my house?”