1st Shamu'AL (1 Samuel) — 21
Daud Runs from Shaul
1 Daud went to the town of Nub to see Ahimalach the Kuhan. Ahimalach 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,” Daud said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later.
3 Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have.”
4 “We do not have any regular bread,” the Kuhan replied. “But there is the Qadash bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.”
5 “Do not worry,” Daud replied. “I never allow my men to be with women when we are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!”
6 Since there was no other food available, the Kuhan gave him the Qadash bread, the Bread of the Presence that was placed before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.
7 Now Duag the Adumite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.
8 Daud asked Ahimalach, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I did not even have time to grab a weapon!”
9 “I only have the sword of Guliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Alah,” the Kuhan replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.” There is nothing like it!” Daud replied. “Give it to me!”
10 So Daud escaped from Shaul and went to King Achish of Gath.
11 But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. “Is not this Daud, the king of the land?” they asked. “Is not he the one the people honor with dances, singing, ‘Shaul has killed his thousands, and Daud has killed his ten thousands’?”
12 Daud heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him.
13 So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.
14 Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman?
15 We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?”