1Samuel:21

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* Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest : and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David , and said unto him , Why are you alone , and no man with you ? * And David said unto Ahimelech the priest , The king has commanded me a business , and has said unto me , Let no man know any thing of the business whereabouts I send you , and what I have commanded you : and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place . * Now therefore what is under yours hand ? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand , or what there is present . * 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 . * And David answered the priest , and said unto him , Truthfully 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 . * So the priest gave him hallowed bread : for there was no bread there but the showbread , that was taken from before the LORD , to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away . * 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 . * And David said unto Ahimelech , And is there not here under yours hand spear or sword ? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me , because the king 's business required haste . * And the priest said , The sword of Goliath the Philistine , whom you slew 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 no other save that here . And David said , There is none like that ; give it me . * And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul , and went to Achish the king of Gath . * 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 has slain his thousands , and David his ten thousands ? * And David laid up these words in his heart , and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath . * And he changed his behaviour before them , and feigned himself mad in their hands , and scratch on the doors of the gate , and let his spittle fall down upon his beard . * Then said Achish unto his servants , Lo , all of you see the man is mad : wherefore then have all of you brought him to me ? * Have I need of mad men , that all of you have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence ? shall this fellow come into my house ?

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