^{1 2} And he arose and went; but Jonathan^◦ came into the city. And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech was·​·frightened to meet David, and said to him, Why art thou^◦ alone, and no man^◦ with^◦ thee?

^{2 3} And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a word and has said to^▵ me, Let not a man^◦ know anything of the word about which I^▵ send thee, and what I have commanded thee; and I made the lads to know the way to^▵ a place set·​·apart and isolated^*.

^{3 4} And now, what is^◦ there under thy hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatsoever is found.

^{4 5} And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there·​·is the bread of holiness, if only^▵ the lads have kept themselves from women.

^{5 6} And David answered the priest and said to him, For although women have been kept·​·away from us as yesterday and the day before^* when I went·​·out, and the vessels of the lads are holy, but the journey^* is common, yet it is made·​·holy today in the vessel.

^{6 7} And the priest gave him bread of holiness, for there was no bread there but the bread of faces, that was removed from before Jehovah, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken.

^{7 8} And a man^◦ was there of the servants of Saul that^◦ day, detained before Jehovah; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, a powerful·​·one from the shepherds that Saul had^◦.

^{8 9} And David said unto Ahimelech, And is·​·there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have not taken in my hand even my sword or my weapons^◦, for the word of the king was pressing.

^{9 10} And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou smotest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in raiment behind the ephod. If thou wilt take it for thyself, take it; for there is no other in this place except it. And David said, There is none like that; give it to me.

^{10 11} And David arose and ran·​·away that day from before Saul, and came to Achish, the king of Gath.

^{11 12} And the servants of Achish said to^▵ him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not answer to this one in dances, saying, Saul smote his thousands, and David his myriads?

^{12 13} And David set these words in his heart, and he feared exceedingly before Achish the king of Gath.

^{13 14} And he changed^◦ his behavior^* before their eyes, and raved in their hands, and made·​·marks on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva go·​·down upon his beard.

^{14 15} And Achish said unto his servants, Behold, you see the man^◦ is mad; why have you brought him to me?

^{15 16} Am I^◦ in·​·want of those who are mad, that you have brought this one to be·​·mad on me? Shall this one come to^▵ my house?