1 Samuel 21

1David came to Nob to the priest Ahimelech, and Ahimelech trembled to meet David and said to him, "Why are you alone, with no man beside you?"

2David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, 'Let no one know anything about the matter for which I am sending you, what I have commanded you, and the young men I have directed to such-and-such a place.'"

3Now then, what do you have on hand? Put five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.

4The priest answered David, "No ordinary bread is under my hand, but there is consecrated bread if the young men have kept themselves at least from women."

5David answered the priest and said to him, "Women have been withheld from us these past three days. When I set out, the young men's gear was holy, even though the journey was ordinary. How much more today is it consecrated in the vessel."

6So the priest gave him holy bread, because there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence—the bread removed from before Yahweh to put hot bread there on the day it was taken away.

7Now one of Saul's servants was there that day, detained before Yahweh, and his name was Doeg the Edomite, chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

8David said to Ahimelech, "Isn't there a spear or sword here at your hand? I have not brought even my sword, nor my weapons with me, because the king's business was urgent."

9The priest said, “Goliath the Philistine’s sword, the one you struck in the valley of Elah—here it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want to take it, take it; there is no other except that one here.” David said, “There is none like it. Give it to me.

10David arose and fled from Saul that day, and came to Achish king of Gath.

11Achish's servants said to him, "Isn't this David king of the land? Didn't they sing about him in dances, saying, 'Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"

12David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish, king of Gath.

13He changed his behavior before their eyes and raved and scratched in their hands, scratching on the doors of the gate as his spittle ran down to his beard.

14Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why have you brought him to me?"

15Am I lacking madmen, that you have brought this one to behave madly before me? Shall this one come into my house?