2
Davidsaid to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has commissioned me with a matter and has said to me, 'Let nooneknowanything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have directed the youngmen to a certain*place.'
4
The priestansweredDavid and said, "There is noordinarybread on hand, but there is consecratedbread; ifonly the youngmen have kept themselves from women."
5
Davidanswered the priest and said to him, "Surely*women have been kept from us as previously when I set out and the vessels of the youngmen were holy, though it was an ordinaryjourney; howmuch*more* then today will their vessels be holy?"
6
So the priestgave him consecrated bread; for there was nobreadthere but the bread of the Presence which was removed from before the LORD, in order to puthotbread in its place when it was taken away.
8
Davidsaid to Ahimelech, "Now is there not a spearor a sword on hand? For I broughtneither* my swordnor my weapons with me, because the king'smatter was urgent."
9
Then the priestsaid, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a clothbehind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is nootherexcept it here." And Davidsaid, "There is nonelike it; give it to me."
11
But the servants of Achishsaid to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of thisone as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his tenthousands '?"
13
So he disguised his sanitybefore them, and actedinsanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his salivarundown into his beard.