Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 21"

1 Samuel 21

New Revised Standard NRS

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

2 David said to the priest Ahimelech, "The king has charged me with a matter, and said to me, "No one must know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.' I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place.

3 Now then, what have you at hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here."

4 The priest answered David, "I have no ordinary bread at hand, only holy bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women."

5 David answered the priest, "Indeed women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition; the vessels of the young men are holy even when it is a common journey; how much more today will their vessels be holy?"

6 So the priest gave him the holy bread; for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's shepherds.

8 David said to Ahimelech, "Is there no spear or sword here with you? I did not bring my sword or 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, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you will take that, take it, for there is none here except that one." David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."

10 David rose and fled that day from Saul; he went to King Achish of Gath.

11 The servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"

12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of King Achish of Gath.

13 So he changed his behavior before them; he pretended to be mad when in their presence. He scratched marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard.

14 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?"

The Message Bible MSG

1 avid went on his way and Jonathan returned to town. David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the Priest. Ahimelech was alarmed as he went out to greet David: "What are you doing here all by yourself - and not a soul with you?"

2 David answered Ahimelech the Priest, "The king sent me on a mission and gave strict orders: 'This is top secret - not a word of this to a soul.' I've arranged to meet up with my men in a certain place.

3 Now, what's there here to eat? Do you have five loaves of bread? Give me whatever you can scrounge up!"

4 "I don't have any regular bread on hand," said the priest. "I only have holy bread. If your men have not slept with women recently, it's yours."

5 David said, "None of us has touched a woman. I always do it this way when I'm on a mission: My men abstain from sex. Even when it is an ordinary mission we do that - how much more on this holy mission."

6 So the priest gave them the holy bread. It was the only bread he had, Bread of the Presence that had been removed from God's presence and replaced by fresh bread at the same time.

7 One of Saul's officials was present that day keeping a religious vow. His name was Doeg the Edomite. He was chief of Saul's shepherds.

8 David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword of any kind around here? I didn't have a chance to grab my weapons. The king's mission was urgent and I left in a hurry."

9 The priest said, "The sword of Goliath, the Philistine you killed at Oak Valley - that's here! It's behind the Ephod wrapped in a cloth. If you want it, take it. There's nothing else here."

10 "Oh," said David, "there's no sword like that! Give it to me!"

11 When the servants of Achish saw him, they said, "Can this be David, the famous David? Is this the one they sing of at their dances? Saul kills by the thousand, David by the ten thousand!"

12 When David realized that he had been recognized, he panicked, fearing the worst from Achish, king of Gath.

13 So right there, while they were looking at him, he pretended to go crazy, pounding his head on the city gate and foaming at the mouth, spit dripping from his beard.

14 Achish took one look at him and said to his servants, "Can't you see he's crazy? Why did you let him in here?

15 Don't you think I have enough crazy people to put up with as it is without adding another? Get him out of here!"