Chapter 21

David Takes Consecrated Bread

1 Then David came to aNob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech bcame trembling to meet David and said to him, “Why are you alone and no one with you?”

2 David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commissioned me with a matter and has said to me, ‘aLet no one know anything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have directed the young men to a certain place.’

3 “Now therefore, what 1do you have on hand? Give 2me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”

4 The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread 1on hand, but there is aconsecrated bread; if only the young men have bkept themselves from women.”

5 David answered the priest and said to him, “aSurely women have been kept from us as previously when I set out and the bvessels of the young men were holy, though it was an ordinary journey; how much more then today will 1their vessels be holy?”

6 So athe priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there but the bbread of the Presence which was removed from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away.

7 Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was aDoeg the Edomite, the bchief of Saul’s shepherds.

8 David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword 1on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons 2with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.”

9 Then the priest said, “aThe sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you 1killed bin the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

10 Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to aAchish king of Gath.

11 But the aservants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? bDid they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands’?”

12 David atook these words 1to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.

13 So he adisguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard.

14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me?

15 “Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?”

Chapter 18

Jonathan and David

1 Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that athe soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and bJonathan loved him as himself.

2 Saul took him that day and adid not let him return to his father’s house.

3 Then aJonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

4 aJonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt.

5 So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and 1prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

6 It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that athe women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with 1musical instruments.

7 The women asang as they 1played, and said,

“bSaul has slain his thousands,

cAnd David his ten thousands.”

8 Then Saul became very angry, for this saying 1displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now awhat more can he have but the kingdom?”

9 Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.

Saul Turns against David

10 Now it came about on the next day that aan evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and bhe raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, 1cas usual; and 2da spear was in Saul’s hand.

11 aSaul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will 1pin David to the wall.” But David 2escaped from his presence twice.

12 Now aSaul was afraid of David, bfor the Lord was with him but chad departed from Saul.

13 Therefore Saul removed him from 1his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and ahe went out and came in before the people.

14 David was 1prospering in all his ways for athe Lord was with him.

15 When Saul saw that he was 1prospering greatly, he dreaded him.

16 But aall Israel and Judah loved David, and he went out and came in before them.

17 Then Saul said to David, “aHere is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight bthe Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but clet the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

18 But David said to Saul, “aWho am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?”

19 So it came about at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to aAdriel bthe Meholathite for a wife.

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

20 Now aMichal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable 1to him.

21 Saul thought, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and athat the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “bFor a second time you may be my son-in-law today.”

22 Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words 1to David. But David said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law, asince I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?”

24 The servants of Saul reported to him 1according to these words which David spoke.

25 Saul then said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any adowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, bto take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” Now cSaul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

26 When his servants told David these words, 1it pleased David to become the king’s son-in-law. 2aBefore the days had expired

27 David rose up and went, ahe and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then bDavid brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife.

28 When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him,

29 then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David’s enemy continually.

30 Then the commanders of the Philistines awent out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David bbehaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.

Chapter 19

David Protected from Saul

1 Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants ato put David to death. But bJonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David.

2 So Jonathan told David saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now therefore, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself.

3 “I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; aif I 1find out anything, then I will tell you.”

4 Then Jonathan aspoke well of David to…