1 THEN David came to Noh, to Ahimeleck the priest; and Ahimeleck was afraid at meeting David, and said to him, Why have you come alone, and no man with you?

2 And David said to Ahimeleck the priest, The king has entrusted me with a matter, and has said to me, Let no man know the thing for which I send you, and what I have commanded you; and I have stationed my servants at hidden and obscure places.

3 Now therefore what provisions have you in your possession? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.

4 And the priest answered David and said to him, There is no common bread in my possession, but there is hallowed bread; you may have it if the young men have kept themselves from touching unclean things.

5 And David answered the priest and said to him, The hallowed bread has been lawful for us since yesterday and the day before, when we left, and behold, the clothes of the young men are holy, and the bread is now practically common, even though it were sanctified this day in the vessels.

6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread; for there was no bread there but the shewbread that was taken from before the LORD to be replaced by hot bread on 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 herdsmen that belonged to Saul.

8 And David said to Ahimeleck, Is there not here in your possession a sword or a spear? For I have brought neither my sword nor my javelin with me, because the king's business required haste.

9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the valley of Terebinth, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you wish to take that, take it, for there is no other but that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it to me.

10 And David arose and fled that day from 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 of Israel? Did not the daughters of Israel sing to one another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?

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

13 So he changed his behavior in his presence, and disguised himself in their sight, and he sat at the doorpost and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

14 Then Achish said to his servants. Lo, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me?

15 Do I lack good manners, that you have brought this fellow who misbehaves in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?