I Samuel 21

David kom derpå til Præsten Ahimelek i Nob. Ahimelek kom ængstelig David i Møde og sagde til ham: "Hvorfor er du alene og har ingen med dig?"

Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

David svarede Præsten Ahimelek: "Kongen overdrog mig et Ærinde og sagde til mig: Ingen må vide noget om det Ærinde, jeg sender dig ud i og overdrager dig! Derfor har jeg sat Folkene Stævne på et aftalt Sted.

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

Men hvis du har fem Brød ved Hånden, så giv mig dem, eller hvad du har!"

Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

Præsten svarede David: "Jeg har intet almindeligt Brød ved Hånden, kun helligt Brød; Folkene har da vel holdt sig fra Kvinder?"

And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

David svarede Præsten: "Ja visselig, vi har været afskåret fra Omgang med Kvinder i flere Dage. Da jeg drog ud, var Folkenes Legemer rene, skønt det var en dagligdags Rejse; hvor meget mere må de da i Dag være rene på Legemet!"

And David answered the priest, and said unto 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, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

Præsten gav ham da det hellige Brød; thi der var ikke andet Brød der end Skuebrødene, som tages bort fra deres Plads for HERRENs Åsyn, samtidig med at der lægges frisk Brød i Stedet.

So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Men den Dag var en Mand af Sauls Folk lukket inde der for HERRENs Åsyn, en Edomit ved Navn Doeg, den øverste af Sauls Hyrder.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.

David spurgte derpå Ahimelek: "Har du ikke et Spyd eller et Sværd ved Hånden her? Thi hverken mit Sværd eller mine andre Våben fik jeg med, da Kongens Ærinde havde Hast."

And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

Præsten svarede: "Det Sværd, som tilhørte Filisteren Goliat, ham, som du dræbte i Terebintedalen, er her, hyllet i en Kappe bag Efoden. Vil du have det, så tag det! Thi her er intet andet!" Da sagde David: "Dets Lige findes ikke; giv mig det!"

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.

Derpå brød David op og flygtede samme Dag for Saul, og han kom til Kong Akisj af Gat.

And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

Men Akisj's Folk sagde til ham: "Er det ikke David, Landets Konge, er det ikke ham, om hvem man sang under Dans: Saul slog sine Tusinder, men David sine Titusinder!"

And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

Disse Ord gav David Agt på,og han grebes af stor Frygt for Kong Akisj af Gat;

And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

derfor lod han afsindig overfor dem og rasede imellem Hænderne på dem, idet han trommede på Portfløjene og lod sit Spyt flyde ned i Skægget.

And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

Da sagde Akisj til sine Folk: "I kan da se, at Manden er gal; hvorfor bringer I ham til mig?

Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

Har jeg ikke gale Mennesker nok, siden I bringer mig ham til at plage mig med sin Galskab? Skal han komme i mit Hus?"

Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?