¹ 众军长和加利亚的儿子约哈难，并何沙雅的儿子耶撒尼亚（又名亚撒利雅，见四十三章二节）以及众百姓，从最小的到至大的都进前来，

² 对先知耶利米说：求你准我们在你面前祈求，为我们这剩下的人祷告耶和华─你的神。我们本来众多，现在剩下的极少，这是你亲眼所见的。

³ 愿耶和华─你的神指示我们所当走的路，所当做的事。

⁴ 先知耶利米对他们说：我已经听见你们了，我必照着你们的话祷告耶和华─你们的神。耶和华无论回答甚麽，我必都告诉你们，毫不隐瞒。

⁵ 於是他们对耶利米说：我们若不照耶和华─你的神差遣你来说的一切话行，愿耶和华在我们中间作真实诚信的见证。

⁶ 我们现在请你到耶和华─我们的神面前，他说的无论是好是歹，我们都必听从；我们听从耶和华─我们神的话，就可以得福。

⁷ 过了十天，耶和华的话临到耶利米。

⁸ 他就将加利亚的儿子约哈难和同着他的众军长，并众百姓，从最小的到至大的都叫了来，

⁹ 对他们说：耶和华─以色列的神，就是你们请我在他面前为你们祈求的主，如此说：

¹⁰ 你们若仍住在这地，我就建立你们，必不拆毁，栽植你们，并不拔出，因我为降与你们的灾祸後悔了。

¹¹ 不要怕你们所怕的巴比伦王。耶和华说：不要怕他！因为我与你们同在，要拯救你们脱离他的手。

¹² 我也要使他发怜悯，好怜悯你们，叫你们归回本地。

¹³ 倘若你们说：我们不住在这地，以致不听从耶和华─你们神的话，

¹⁴ 说：我们不住这地，却要进入埃及地，在那里看不见争战，听不见角声，也不致无食饥饿。我们必住在那里。

¹⁵ 你们所剩下的犹大人哪，现在要听耶和华的话。万军之耶和华─以色列的神如此说：你们若定意要进入埃及，在那里寄居，

¹⁶ 你们所惧怕的刀剑在埃及地必追上你们！你们所惧怕的饥荒在埃及要紧紧地跟随你们！你们必死在那里！

¹⁷ 凡定意要进入埃及在那里寄居的必遭刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫而死，无一人存留，逃脱我所降与他们的灾祸。

¹⁸ 万军之耶和华─以色列的神如此说：我怎样将我的怒气和忿怒倾在耶路撒冷的居民身上，你们进入埃及的时候，我也必照样将我的忿怒倾在你们身上，以致你们令人辱骂、惊骇、咒诅、羞辱，你们不得再见这地方。

¹⁹ 所剩下的犹大人哪，耶和华论到你们说：不要进入埃及去。你们要确实地知道我今日警教你们了。

²⁰ 你们行诡诈自害；因为你们请我到耶和华─你们的神那里，说：求你为我们祷告耶和华─我们神，照耶和华─我们的神一切所说的告诉我们，我们就必遵行。

²¹ 我今日将这话告诉你们，耶和华─你们的神为你们的事差遣我到你们那里说的，你们却一样没有听从。

²² 现在你们要确实地知道，你们在所要去寄居之地必遭刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫而死。

¹ Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no man with you?"

² David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, 'Let no man know anything of the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you; and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.'

³ Now therefore what is under your hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is present."

⁴ The priest answered David, and said, "There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women."

⁵ David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly, women have been kept from us about these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?"

⁶ So the priest gave him holy [bread]; for there was no bread there but the show bread, that was taken from before Yahweh, 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 Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

⁸ David said to Ahimelech, "Isn't there 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."

⁹ The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here." David said, "There is none like that. Give it to me."

¹⁰ David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

¹¹ The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David the king of the land? Didn't they sing one to another about him in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"

¹² David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

¹³ He changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.

¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?

¹⁵ Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"