The First Book of Samuel, Chapter 21שמואל א 21

וַיָּ֖קָם וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ וִיהוֹנָתָ֖ן בָּ֥א הָעִֽיר

And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

וַיָּבֹ֤א דָוִד֙ נֹ֔בֶה אֶל אֲחִימֶ֖לֶךְ הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַיֶּחֱרַ֨ד אֲחִימֶ֜לֶךְ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ מַדּ֤וּעַ אַתָּה֙ לְבַדֶּ֔ךָ וְאִ֖ישׁ אֵ֥ין אִתָּֽךְ

Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, Why you alone, and no man with you?

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד לַאֲחִימֶ֣לֶךְ הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הַמֶּלֶךְ֮ צִוַּ֣נִי דָבָר֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י אִ֣ישׁ אַל יֵ֧דַע מְא֛וּמָה אֶת הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִ֥י שֹׁלֵֽחֲךָ֖ וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֑ךָ וְאֶת הַנְּעָרִ֣ים יוֹדַ֔עְתִּי אֶל מְק֥וֹם פְּלֹנִ֖י אַלְמוֹנִֽי

And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send you, and what I have commanded you: and I have appointed servants to such and such a place.

וְעַתָּ֗ה מַה יֵּ֧שׁ תַּֽחַת יָדְךָ֛ חֲמִשָּׁה לֶ֖חֶם תְּנָ֣ה בְיָדִ֑י א֖וֹ הַנִּמְצָֽא

Now therefore what is under your hand? give five bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

וַיַּ֨עַן הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת דָּוִד֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר אֵֽין לֶ֥חֶם חֹ֖ל אֶל תַּ֣חַת יָדִ֑י כִּֽי אִם לֶ֤חֶם קֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ יֵ֔שׁ אִם נִשְׁמְר֥וּ הַנְּעָרִ֖ים אַ֥ךְ מֵאִשָּֽׁה

And the priest answered David, and said, no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

וַיַּעַן֩ דָּוִ֨ד אֶת הַכֹּהֵ֜ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ כִּ֣י אִם אִשָּׁ֤ה עֲצֻֽרָה לָ֨נוּ֙ כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם בְּצֵאתִ֕י וַיִּהְי֥וּ כְלֵֽי הַנְּעָרִ֖ים קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְהוּא֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ חֹ֔ל וְאַ֕ף כִּ֥י הַיּ֖וֹם יִקְדַּ֥שׁ בַּכֶּֽלִי

And David answered the priest, and said to him, Of a truth women kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

וַיִּתֶּן ל֥וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן קֹ֑דֶשׁ כִּי֩ לֹא הָ֨יָה שָׁ֜ם לֶ֗חֶם כִּֽי אִם לֶ֤חֶם הַפָּנִים֙ הַמּֽוּסָרִים֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לָשׂוּם֙ לֶ֣חֶם חֹ֔ם בְּי֖וֹם הִלָּקְחֽוֹ

So the priest gave him hallowed : for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before YHWH, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

וְשָׁ֡ם אִישׁ֩ מֵעַבְדֵ֨י שָׁא֜וּל בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נֶעְצָר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וּשְׁמ֖וֹ דֹּאֵ֣ג הָאֲדֹמִ֑י אַבִּ֥יר הָרֹעִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְשָׁאֽוּל

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul there that day, detained before YHWH; and his name Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that to Saul.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ לַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְ וְאִ֛ין יֶשׁ פֹּ֥ה תַֽחַת יָדְךָ֖ חֲנִ֣ית אוֹ חָ֑רֶב כִּ֣י גַם חַרְבִּ֤י וְגַם כֵּלַי֙ לֹֽא לָקַ֣חְתִּי בְיָדִ֔י כִּֽי הָיָ֥ה דְבַר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ נָחֽוּץ

And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under your hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַכֹּהֵ֗ן חֶרֶב֩ גָּלְיָ֨ת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜י אֲשֶׁר הִכִּ֣יתָ בְּעֵ֣מֶק הָאֵלָ֗ה הִנֵּה הִ֞יא לוּטָ֣ה בַשִּׂמְלָה֮ אַחֲרֵ֣י הָאֵפוֹד֒ אִם אֹתָ֤הּ תִּֽקַּח לְךָ֙ קָ֔ח כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין אַחֶ֛רֶת זוּלָתָ֖הּ בָּזֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֧אמֶר דָּוִ֛ד אֵ֥ין כָּמ֖וֹהָ תְּנֶ֥נָּה לִּֽי

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if you will take that, take : for no other save that here. And David said, none like that; give it me.

וַיָּ֣קָם דָּוִ֔ד וַיִּבְרַ֥ח בַּיּוֹם הַה֖וּא מִפְּנֵ֣י שָׁא֑וּל וַיָּבֹ֕א אֶל אָכִ֖ישׁ מֶ֥לֶךְ גַּֽת

And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

וַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּ עַבְדֵ֤י אָכִישׁ֙ אֵלָ֔יו הֲלוֹא זֶ֥ה דָוִ֖ד מֶ֣לֶךְ הָאָ֑רֶץ הֲל֣וֹא לָזֶ֗ה יַעֲנ֤וּ בַמְּחֹלוֹת֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִכָּ֤ה שָׁאוּל֙ באלפו בַּאֲלָפָ֔יו וְדָוִ֖ד ברבבתו בְּרִבְבֹתָֽיו

And the servants of Achish said to him, not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

וַיָּ֧שֶׂם דָּוִ֛ד אֶת הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה בִּלְבָב֑וֹ וַיִּרָ֣א מְאֹ֔ד מִפְּנֵ֖י אָכִ֥ישׁ מֶֽלֶךְ גַּֽת

And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

וַיְשַׁנּ֤וֹ אֶת טַעְמוֹ֙ בְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּתְהֹלֵ֖ל בְּיָדָ֑ם ויתו וַיְתָיו֙ עַל דַּלְת֣וֹת הַשַּׁ֔עַר וַיּ֥וֹרֶד רִיר֖וֹ אֶל זְקָנֽוֹ

And 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.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אָכִ֖ישׁ אֶל עֲבָדָ֑יו הִנֵּ֤ה תִרְאוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִשְׁתַּגֵּ֔עַ לָ֛מָּה תָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֵלָֽי

Then said Achish to his servants, Lo, you see the man is mad: wherefore have you brought him to me?

חֲסַ֤ר מְשֻׁגָּעִים֙ אָ֔נִי כִּי הֲבֵאתֶ֣ם אֶת זֶ֔ה לְהִשְׁתַּגֵּ֖עַ עָלָ֑י הֲזֶ֖ה יָב֥וֹא אֶל בֵּיתִֽי

Have I need of mad men, that you have brought this to play the mad man in my presence? shall this come into my house?