1 Samuel 21 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David Takes Consecrated Bread

1 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?”

2 And David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Ahimelech ^H288 the priest ^H3548, “The king ^H4428 has commanded ^H6680 me with a matter ^H1697 and has said ^H559 to me, ‘Let no ^H408 one ^H376 know ^H3045 anything ^H3972 about the matter ^H1697 on which ^H834 I am sending ^H7971 you and with which ^H834 I have commanded ^H6680 you; and I have directed ^H3045 the young ^H5288 men ^H5288 to a certain ^H492 H6423 place ^H4725.’ 3 So now ^H6258, what ^H4100 [fn]do you have ^H3426 on hand ^H3027? Give ^H5414 five ^H2568 loaves of bread ^H3899 into my hand ^H3027, or ^H176 whatever can be found ^H4672.” 4 And the priest ^H3548 answered ^H6030 David ^H1732 and said ^H559, “There ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 ordinary ^H2455 bread ^H3899 [fn]on hand ^H3027, but there ^H3426 is ^H3426 consecrated ^H6944 bread ^H3899; if ^H518 only ^H389 the young ^H5288 men ^H5288 have kept ^H8104 themselves from women ^H802.” 5 And David ^H1732 answered ^H6030 the priest ^H3548 and said ^H559 to him, “Surely ^H3588 H518 women ^H802 have been kept ^H6113 from us as previously ^H8543 H8032 when I set ^H3318 out ^H3318 and the vessels ^H3627 of the young ^H5288 men ^H5288 were holy ^H6944, though it was an ordinary ^H2455 journey ^H1870; how ^H637 much ^H637 H3588 more ^H637 H3588 then today ^H3117 will [fn]their vessels ^H3627 be holy?” 6 So the priest ^H3548 gave ^H5414 him consecrated ^H6944 bread; for there was no ^H3808 bread ^H3899 there ^H8033 but the bread ^H3899 of the Presence ^H6440 which was removed ^H5493 from before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068, in order to put ^H7760 hot ^H2527 bread ^H3899 in its place when ^H3117 it was taken ^H3947 away.

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.

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.” 9 Then the priest ^H3548 said ^H559, “The sword ^H2719 of Goliath ^H1555 the Philistine ^H6430, whom ^H834 you struck ^H5221 down ^H5221 in the valley ^H6010 of Elah ^H424, behold ^H2009, it is wrapped ^H3874 in a cloth ^H8071 behind ^H310 the ephod ^H646; if ^H518 you would take ^H3947 it for yourself, take ^H3947 it. For there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 other ^H312 except ^H2108 it here ^H2088.” And David ^H1732 said ^H559, “There ^H369 is ^H369 none ^H369 like ^H3644 it; give ^H5414 it to me.”

David Flees to Gath

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.

11 But the servants ^H5650 of Achish ^H397 said ^H559 to him, “Is this ^H2088 not David ^H1732 the king ^H4428 of the land ^H776? Did they not sing ^H6030 of this ^H2088 one ^H2088 as they danced ^H4246, saying ^H559,

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

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

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. 13 So he disguised ^H8132 his sanity ^H2940 in their ^H5869 sight ^H5869 and acted ^H1984 insanely ^H1984 in their hands ^H3027 and scribbled ^H8427 on the doors ^H1817 of the gate ^H8179 and let his saliva ^H7388 run ^H3381 down ^H3381 into his beard ^H2206. 14 Then Achish ^H397 said ^H559 to his servants ^H5650, “Behold ^H2009, you see ^H7200 the man ^H376 behaving ^H7696 as ^H7696 a ^H7696 madman ^H7696. Why ^H4100 do you bring ^H935 him to me? 15 Do I lack ^H2638 madmen ^H7696, that you have brought ^H935 this ^H2088 one ^H2088 to act ^H7696 the ^H7696 madman ^H7696 before me ^H5921? Shall this ^H2088 one ^H2088 come ^H935 into my house ^H1004?”