1
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, Why [art] thou alone, and no man with thee?
2
And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said to me, Let no man know any thing of the business about which I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed [my] servants to such and such a place.
3
Now therefore what is under thy hand? give [me] five [loaves of] bread in my hand, or what there is present.
4
And the priest answered David, and said, [There is] no common bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5
And David answered the priest, and said to him, Of a truth women [have been] kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and [the bread is] in a manner common, yes, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6
So the priest gave him hallowed [bread]: for there was no bread there but the show-bread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.