David Flees to Ahimelech

1 Samuel 21:1-15

Bible Stories

1 Samuel 21:1 Then 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?”

1 Samuel 21:2 And 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.’

1 Samuel 21:3 Now therefore, if you have anything at hand, even five loaves of bread, or whatever you may find, give it to me.”

1 Samuel 21:4 And 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?”

1 Samuel 21:5 And 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.”

1 Samuel 21:6 Therefore, 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.

1 Samuel 21:7 Now 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.

1 Samuel 21:8 Then 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.”

1 Samuel 21:9 And 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.”

1 Samuel 21:10 And so, David rose up, and he fled on that day from the face of Saul. And he went to Achish, the king of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:11 And 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?’ ”

1 Samuel 21:12 Then David took these words to his heart, and he became exceedingly afraid before the face of Achish, the king of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:13 And 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.

1 Samuel 21:14 And Achish said to his servants: “You saw that the man is insane. Why did you bring him to me?

1 Samuel 21:15 Or 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?”