| Book | Chapter | Verse | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 1 | David went to the city of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. "Why are you alone?" he asked. "Why is no one with you?" |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 2 | "The king has sent me on a private matter," David said. "He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 3 | Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have." |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 4 | "We don't have any regular bread," the priest replied. "But there is the holy bread, which I guess you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently." |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 5 | "Don't worry," David replied. "I never allow my men to be with women when they are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!" |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 6 | So, since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread--the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the LORD in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread. |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 7 | Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief herdsman, was there that day for ceremonial purification. |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 8 | David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword? The king's business was so urgent that I didn't even have time to grab a weapon!" |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 9 | "I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah," the priest replied. "It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.There is nothing like it!" David replied. "Give it to me!" |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 10 | So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 11 | But Achish's officers weren't happy about his being there. "Isn't this David, the king of the land?" they asked. "Isn't he the one the people honor with dances, singing, `Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 12 | David heard these comments and was afraid of what King Achish might do to him. |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 13 | So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard. |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 14 | Finally, King Achish said to his men, "Must you bring me a madman? |
| 1 Samuel | 21 | 15 | We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?" |