Liber I Samuelis, 21

1. Et surrexit David et abiit; sed et Ionathan ingressus est civitatem.

1. Then came David to Nob to Ahim'elech the priest; and Ahim'elech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one with you?"

2. Venit autem David in Nob ad Achimelech sacerdotem, et obstupuit Achimelech eo quod venisset David, et dixit ei: “Quare tu solus et nullus est tecum?”.

2. And David said to Ahim'elech the priest, "The king has charged me with a matter, and said to me, `Let no one 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. Et ait David ad Achimelech sacerdotem: “Rex praecepit mihi negotium et dixit: “Nemo sciat rem, propter quam a me missus es, et cuiusmodi tibi praecepta dederim”; pueris vero condixi in illum et illum locum.

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

4. Nunc igitur, si habes ad manum quinque panes, da mihi, aut quidquid inveneris”.

4. And the priest answered David, "I have no common bread at hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women."

5. Et respondens sacerdos David ait ei: “Non habeo panes laicos ad manum, sed tantum panem sanctum; si mundi sunt pueri maxime a mulieribus?”.

5. And David answered the priest, "Of a truth 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. Et respondit David sacerdoti et dixit ei: “Equidem, si de mulieribus agitur, continuimus nos ab heri et nudiustertius. Quando egrediebar, fuerunt corpora puerorum sancta, quamvis iter esset profanum. Quanto magis hodie sunt sancti quoad corpora”.

6. So the priest gave him the holy bread; for there was no bread there but 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. Dedit ergo ei sacerdos sanctificatum panem; neque enim erat ibi panis, nisi tantum panes propositionis, qui sublati fuerant a facie Domini, ut ponerentur panes calidi.

7. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; his name was Do'eg the E'domite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen.

8. Erat autem ibi vir de servis Saul in die illa retentus ante Dominum; et nomen eius Doeg Idumaeus, potentissimus pastorum Saul.

8. And David said to Ahim'elech, "And have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste."

9. Dixit autem David ad Achimelech: “Si habes hic ad manum hastam aut gladium? Quia gladium meum et arma mea non tuli mecum; negotium enim regis urgebat”.

9. And the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it to me."

10. Et dixit sacerdos: “Ecce hic gladius Goliath Philisthaei, quem percussisti in valle Terebinthi; est involutus pallio post ephod. Si istum vis tollere, tolle, neque enim est alius hic absque eo”. Et ait David: “Non est huic alter similis; da mihi eum”.

10. And David rose and fled that day from Saul, and went to A'chish the king of Gath.

11. Surrexit itaque David et fugit in die illa a facie Saul et venit ad Achis regem Geth.

11. And the servants of A'chish said to him, "Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, `Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"

12. Dixeruntque ei servi Achis: “Numquid non iste est David rex terrae? Nonne huic cantabant per choros dicentes: “Percussit Saul milia sua, et David decem milia sua”?”.

12. And David took these words to heart, and was much afraid of A'chish the king of Gath.

13. Posuit autem David sermones istos in corde suo et extimuit valde a facie Achis regis Geth.

13. So he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and made marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard.

14. Et immutavit os suum coram eis; et insaniebat inter manus eorum et impingebat in ostia portae, defluebantque salivae in barbam.

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

15. Et ait Achis ad servos suos: “Vidistis hominem insanum. Quare adduxistis eum ad 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?"

16. An desunt nobis furiosi, quod introduxistis istum, ut fureret, me praesente? Hicine ingredietur domum meam?”.

16.