And David came to Nobe to Achimelech the priest: and Achimelech was astonished at David’s coming. And he said to him: Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

Venit autem David in Nobe ad Achimelech sacerdotem: et obstupuit Achimelech, eo quod venisset David. Et dixit ei: Quare tu solus, et nullus est tecum?

It was to the priest Achimelech, at Nobe, that David betook himself. Achimelech was dismayed at his coming; Why art thou alone, he asked, with none to attend thee?

And David said to Achimelech the priest: The king hath commanded me a business, and said: Let no man know the thing for which thou art sent by me, and what manner of commands I have given thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

Et ait David ad Achimelech sacerdotem: Rex præcepit mihi sermonem, et dixit: Nemo sciat rem propter quam missus es a me, et cujusmodi præcepta tibi dederim: nam et pueris condixi in illum et illum locum.

The king, David told him, has given me a task to perform, but errand and instructions are both secret; and he has given me a trysting-place where I am to meet my companions.

Now therefore if thou have any thing at hand, though it were but five loaves, give me, or whatsoever thou canst find.

Nunc ergo si quid habes ad manum, vel quinque panes, da mihi, aut quidquid inveneris.

Hast thou food for them ready to hand, though it were but five loaves? Let me have what thou canst afford.

And the priest answered David, saying: I have no common bread at hand, but only holy bread, if the young men be clean, especially from women?

Et respondens sacerdos ad David, ait illi: Non habeo laicos panes ad manum, sed tantum panem sanctum: si mundi sunt pueri, maxime a mulieribus?

Why, answered the priest, never a loaf have I here for common uses; there is only the holy bread. Are they free from defilement, these followers of thine, from the touch of woman, at least?

And David answered the priest, and said to him: Truly, as to what concerneth women, we have refrained ourselves from yesterday and the day before, when we came out, and the vessels of the young men were holy. Now this way is defiled, but it shall also be sanctified this day in the vessels.

Et respondit David sacerdoti, et dixit ei: Equidem, si de mulieribus agitur: continuimus nos ab heri et nudiustertius quando egrediebamur, et fuerunt vasa puerorum sancta. Porro via hæc polluta est, sed et ipsa hodie sanctificabitur in vasis.

As to women, David told the priest, we are as clean as when we set out a day or two back; and the packs the men carry are as clean as themselves. This is no holy errand of ours, but it will not bring any defilement, to-day, upon aught we carry with us.

The priest therefore gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there, but only the loaves of proposition, which had been taken away from before the face of the Lord, that hot loaves might be set up.

Dedit ergo ei sacerdos sanctificatum panem: neque enim erat ibi panis, nisi tantum panes propositionis, qui sublati fuerant a facie Domini, ut ponerentur panes calidi.

So the priest gave him hallowed bread, since he had nothing but the loaves which had been set out in the Lord’s presence, and must now be taken away to make room for a new batch.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, within the tabernacle of the Lord: and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of Saul’s herdsmen.

Erat autem ibi vir quidam de servis Saul in die illa, intus in tabernaculo Domini: et nomen ejus Doëg Idumæus, potentissimus pastorum Saul.

One of Saul’s servants was there that day, waiting in the Lord’s precincts, a man of Edom called Doeg, chief of Saul’s shepherds.

And David said to Achimelech: Hast thou here at hand a spear, or a sword? for I brought not my own sword, nor my own weapons with me, for the king’s business required haste.

Dixit autem David ad Achimelech: Si habes hic ad manum hastam aut gladium? quia gladium meum et arma mea non tuli mecum: sermo enim regis urgebat.

And now David said to Achimelech, Hast thou a sword or spear here for me? My sword and all my weapons I left behind, so urgent was the royal command.

And the priest said: Lo, here is the sword of Goliath the Philistine whom thou slewest in the valley of Terebinth, wrapped up in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take this, take it, for here is no other but this. And David said: There is none like that, give it me.

Et dixit sacerdos: Ecce hic gladius Goliath Philisthæi, quem percussisti in Valle terebinthi: est involutus pallio post ephod: si istum vis tollere, tolle: neque enim hic est alius absque eo. Et ait David: Non est huic alter similis: da mihi eum.

Yes, answered the priest, there is the sword of the Philistine, Goliath, whom thou didst slay in the Valley of the Terebinth. Wrapped in a cloth it lies, behind the sacred mantle. If thou wilt take that, take it; there is none other but that. And there is none other like that, said David; give it me.

And David arose and fled that day from the face of Saul: and came to Achis the king of Geth:

Surrexit itaque David, et fugit in die illa a facie Saul: et venit ad Achis regem Geth.

David set out the same day, to find refuge from Saul’s pursuit, and betook himself to Achis, king of Geth.

And the servants of Achis, when they saw David, said to him: Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to him in their dances, saying: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

Dixeruntque servi Achis ad eum cum vidissent David: Numquid non iste est David rex terræ? nonne huic cantabant per choros, dicentes: Percussit Saul mille, et David decem millia?

And at the sight of him, Achis’ men said to their master, Why, is not this David, a king in his own land? Was it not in his honour their dancers used to sing, By Saul’s hand a thousand, by David’s ten thousand fell?

But David laid up these words in his heart, and was exceedingly afraid at the face of Achis the king of Geth.

Posuit autem David sermones istos in corde suo, et extimuit valde a facie Achis regis Geth.

David marked their words well, and now he went in fear of Achis king of Geth.

And he changed his countenance before them, and slipt down between their hands: and he stumbled against the doors of the gate, and his spittle ran down upon his beard.

Et immutavit os suum coram eis, et collabebatur inter manus eorum: et impingebat in ostia portæ, defluebantque salivæ ejus in barbam.

So he changed his mien when they were by, swooning in their hands and clinging to the door-posts and letting the spittle fall on his beard,

And Achis said to his servants: You saw the man was mad: why have you brought him to me?

Et ait Achis ad servos suos: Vidistis hominem insanum: quare adduxistis eum ad me?

till Achis told his men, Why, this is a madman you have found; why must you bring him into my presence?

Have we need of madmen, that you have brought in this fellow, to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

an desunt nobis furiosi, quod introduxistis istum, ut fureret me præsente? hiccine ingredietur domum meam?

Have we not fools enough, that you bring this fellow in to let me watch his antics? Is this the man you would have me take into my house?