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. [1]
6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread : for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
8 And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand a spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.
9 And 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 except that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it to me.
10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said to 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?
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was greatly afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and made marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. [2]
14 Then said Achish to his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: why then have ye brought him to me? [3]
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?
CHAP. 22.
1 David therefore departed from there, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.
2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, resorted to him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. [4] [5]
3 And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the strong hold.
5 And the prophet Gad said to David, Abide not in the strong hold; depart, and come into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
6 When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;) [6]
7 Then Saul said to his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give each one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
8 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth to me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth to me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? [7]
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. [8]
13 And Saul said to him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, who is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thy house?
15 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing to his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more. [9]
16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.
17 And the king said to the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did
- ↑ yea...: or, especially when this day there is other sanctified in the vessel
- ↑ scrabbled: or, made marks
- ↑ is mad: or, playeth the mad man
- ↑ was in debt: Heb. had a creditor
- ↑ discontented: Heb. bitter of soul
- ↑ tree...: or, grove in a high place
- ↑ sheweth...: Heb. uncovereth mine ear
- ↑ Here...: Heb. Behold me
- ↑ less...: Heb. little or great
