He [Dovid] rose and left, and Yonoson returned to the city.

Dovid came to Noveh, to Achimelech the kohein. Achimelech came trembling toward Dovid, and said to him, "Why are you alone, with no one accompanying you?"

Dovid said to Achimelech the kohein, "The king ordered me on a mission, and told me, 'Let no man know anything of the matter about which I am sending you and have commanded you.' And as for the youths, I have sent them ahead to a certain secret place.

And now, what do you have available? Five loaves of bread? Give them, or whatever there is, into my hand."

The kohein answered Dovid, saying, "I have no ordinary bread available, there is only sacred bread; provided the youths have kept themselves at least from women."

Dovid answered the kohein, saying to him, "Women have been kept from us yesterday and the day before, when I left; the garments of the youths were pure, even though it is an ordinary mission, even more so today it will remain sacred in the vessel."

The kohein gave him sacred [bread], for there was no [other] bread there, except for the showbread that was removed from before Adonoy, in order to put hot bread on the day it was taken off.

One of Shaul's servants was there on that day, who remained before Adonoy; his name was Do'eg the Edomite, chief of Shaul's shepherds.

Dovid then said to Achimelech, "Perhaps you have in your possession a spear or a sword, for my sword and my weapons I did not take with me, because the king's mission was urgent."

The kohein said, "The sword of Golyos the Philistine, whom you slew in the Eiloh Valley, behold it is here, wrapped up in a cloth behind the eiphod; if you will take it, take it, for there is no other but that one." Dovid said, "There is none like it; give it to me."

Dovid rose and fled from Shaul on that day, and he came to Achish, king of Gas.

The servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not Dovid, the king of the land? Is it not of him that they sing and play with musical instruments, saying, 'Shaul has slain his thousands, and Dovid his tens of thousands?'"

Dovid took this matter to heart and was very afraid of Achish, king of Gas.

He changed his behavior in front of them and feigned madness while he was with them; he scribbled on the doors of the gate and let his saliva drip on his beard.

Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man is mad. Why have you brought him to me?

Do I lack madmen that you brought this one to display his madness in front of me? Should such [a person] come into my house?"