1 Samuel 21 - English Standard Version (ESV)

David and the Holy Bread

21 [a] Then David came to (A)Nob, to (B)Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech (C)came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech 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 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 4 And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is (D)holy bread—(E)if the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 And David answered the priest, “Truly 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 an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him (F)the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, (G)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 (H)Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen.

8 Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then 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 And the priest said, (I)“The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in (J)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.”

David Flees to Gath

10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to (K)Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? (L)Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”

12 And David (M)took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, 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 behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:1 Ch 21:2 in Hebrew

Cross references

  1. 1 Samuel 21:1 : ch. 22:9, 11, 19; Neh. 11:32; Isa. 10:32
  2. 1 Samuel 21:1 : [ch. 14:3; Mark 2:26]
  3. 1 Samuel 21:1 : [ch. 16:4]
  4. 1 Samuel 21:4 : Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5; Matt. 12:3, 4; Mark 2:25, 26; Luke 6:3, 4
  5. 1 Samuel 21:4 : Ex. 19:15
  6. 1 Samuel 21:6 : [See ver. 4 above]; Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5; Matt. 12:3, 4; Mark 2:25, 26; Luke 6:3, 4
  7. 1 Samuel 21:6 : Lev. 24:8, 9
  8. 1 Samuel 21:7 : ch. 22:9; See Ps. 52
  9. 1 Samuel 21:9 : ch. 17:51
  10. 1 Samuel 21:9 : ch. 17:2
  11. 1 Samuel 21:10 : See Ps. 34
  12. 1 Samuel 21:11 : ch. 18:7; 29:5
  13. 1 Samuel 21:12 : [Luke 2:19]

You Might Also Like:

1 Samuel 21 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

21 And David cometh in to Nob, unto Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech trembleth at meeting David, and saith to him, `Wherefore [art] thou thyself alone, and no man with thee?' 2 And David saith to Ahimelech the priest, `The king hath commanded me a matter, and he saith unto me, Let no man know any...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

21 Forsooth David came into Nob to Ahimelech, the priest; and Ahimelech wondered, for David had come (and Ahimelech wondered why David had come there); and he said to David, Why art thou alone, and no man is with thee? 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded to me a word, a...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - World English Bible (WEB)

21 Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no man with you?” 2 David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me to do something, and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the business ab...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - The Voice (VOICE)

In the law of Moses, people are commanded to love their neighbors as themselves; and Jonathan does just that, loving David as he does himself. David’s love for Jonathan is also clear. When they are parted here, David is filled with sadness. Although both of them weep, David weeps more; and when Saul...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Eating Consecrated Bread21 Then David got up and left, while Jonathan returned to the town. 2 David went to Nob to Ahimelech the kohen. Ahimelech was afraid to meet David, so he said to him, “Why are you alone and no one with you?” 3 David said to Ahimelech the kohen, “The king has commissioned me ...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

David and the Holy Bread21 [a] 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 And David said to Ahim′elech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter, and said to me, ‘Let no one know...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

David and the Holy Bread21 [a] 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 And David said to Ahim′elech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter, and said to me, ‘Let no one know...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

David and the Holy Bread21 [a] 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 th...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

David and the Holy Bread21 [a]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?”(A)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 m...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - New Living Translation (NLT)

David Runs from Saul21 [a]David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?” 2 “The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - New Life Version (NLV)

David Runs from Saul21 David came to Ahimelech the religious leader at Nob. Ahimelech came shaking in fear to meet David, and said to him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” 2 David said to Ahimelech the religious leader, “The king has given me something to do. And he has said to me, ‘Let...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - New King James Version (NKJV)

David and the Holy Bread21 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And (A)Ahimelech was (B)afraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?” 2 So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let a...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

David at Nob21 [a]David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, ‘Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?’ 2 David answered Ahimelek the priest, ‘The king sent me on a mission and said to me, “No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you ...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - New International Version (NIV)

David at Nob21 [a]David went to Nob,(A) to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled(B) when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” 2 David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sendin...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

David at Nob21 David went to Ahimelek the priest at Nob. Ahimelek trembled with fear when he met him. He asked David, “Why are you alone? Why isn’t anyone with you?” 2 David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king gave me a special job to do. He said to me, ‘I don’t want anyone to know what I’m send...
Read More

1 Samuel 21 - New English Translation (NET)

21 1 (21:2) David went to Ahimelech the priest in Nob. Ahimelech was shaking with fear when he met[a] David, and said to him, “Why are you by yourself with no one accompanying you?” 2 David replied to Ahimelech the priest, “The king instructed me to do something, but he said to me, ‘Don’t let anyo...
Read More