David Flees from Saul

21¹ And David cometh in to Nob, unto Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech trembleth at meeting David, and saith to him, 'Wherefore 'art' thou thyself alone, and no man with thee?' ² And David saith to Ahimelech the priest, 'The king hath commanded me a matter, and he saith unto me, Let no man know anything of the matter about which I am sending thee, and which I have commanded thee; and the young men I have caused to know at such and such a place; ³ and now, what is there under thy hand? five loaves give into my hand, or that which is found.' ⁴ And the priest answereth David, and saith, 'There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if the youths have been kept only from women.' ⁵ And David answereth the priest, and saith to him, 'Surely, if women have been restrained from us as heretofore in my going out, then the vessels of the young men are holy, and it 'is' a common way: and also, surely to-day it is sanctified in the vessel.' ⁶ And the priest giveth to him the holy thing, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence which is turned aside from the presence of Jehovah to put hot bread in the day of its being taken away. ⁷ And there 'is' a man of the servants of Saul on that day detained before Jehovah, and his name 'is' Doeg the Edomite, chief of the shepherds whom Saul hath. ⁸ And David saith to Ahimelech, 'And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for neither my sword nor my vessels have I taken in my hand, for the matter of the king was urgent.' ⁹ And the priest saith, 'The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou didst smite in the valley of Elah, lo, it is wrapt in a garment behind the ephod, if it thou dost take to thyself, take; for there is none other save it in this 'place'.' And David saith, 'There is none like it—give it to me.'

¹⁰ And David riseth and fleeth on that day from the face of Saul, and cometh in unto Achish king of Gath; ¹¹ and the servants of Achish say unto him, 'Is not this David king of the land? is it not of this one they sing in dances, saying, 'Saul smote among his thousands, and David among his myriads?' ¹² And David layeth these words in his heart, and is exceedingly afraid of the face of Achish king of Gath, ¹³ and changeth his behaviour before their eyes, and feigneth himself mad in their hand, and scribbleth on the doors of the gate, and letteth down his spittle unto his beard. ¹⁴ And Achish saith unto his servants, 'Lo, ye see a man acting as a madman; why do ye bring him in unto me? ¹⁵ A lack of madmen 'have' I, that ye have brought in this one to act as a madman by me! doth this one come in unto my house?'

The LORD Calls Samuel

3¹ And the youth Samuel is serving Jehovah before Eli, and the word of Jehovah hath been precious in those days—there is no vision broken forth. ² And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Eli is lying down in his place, and his eyes have begun to be dim—he is not able to see. ³ And the lamp of God is not yet extinguished, and Samuel is lying down in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God 'is', ⁴ and Jehovah calleth unto Samuel, and he saith, 'Here 'am' I.' ⁵ And he runneth unto Eli, and saith, 'Here 'am' I, for thou hast called for me;' and he saith, 'I called not; turn back, lie down;' and he goeth and lieth down. ⁶ And Jehovah addeth to call again Samuel, and Samuel riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, 'Here 'am' I, for thou hast called for me;' and he saith, 'I have not called, my son, turn back, lie down.' ⁷ And Samuel hath not yet known Jehovah, and the word of Jehovah is not yet revealed unto him. ⁸ And Jehovah addeth to call Samuel the third time, and he riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, 'Here 'am' I, for thou hast called for me;' and Eli understandeth that Jehovah is calling to the youth. ⁹ And Eli saith to Samuel, 'Go, lie down, and it hath been, if He doth call unto thee, that thou hast said, Speak, Jehovah, for Thy servant is hearing;' and Samuel goeth and lieth down in his place. ¹⁰ And Jehovah cometh, and stationeth Himself, and calleth as time by time, 'Samuel, Samuel;' and Samuel saith, 'Speak, for Thy servant if hearing.'

¹¹ And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Lo, I am doing a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one hearing it do tingle. ¹² In that day I establish unto Eli all that I have spoken unto his house, beginning and completing; ¹³ and I have declared to him that I am judging his house—to the age, for the iniquity which he hath known, for his sons are making themselves vile, and he hath not restrained them, ¹⁴ and therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli: the iniquity of the house of Eli is not atoned for, by sacrifice, and by offering—unto the age.' ¹⁵ And Samuel lieth till the morning, and openeth the doors of the house of Jehovah, and Samuel is afraid of declaring the vision unto Eli. ¹⁶ And Eli calleth Samuel, and saith, 'Samuel, my son;' and he saith, 'Here 'am' I.' ¹⁷ And he saith, 'What 'is' the word which He hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me; so doth God do to thee, and so doth He add, if thou hidest from me a word of all the words that He hath spoken unto thee.' ¹⁸ And Samuel declareth to him the whole of the words, and hath not hid from him; and he saith, 'It 'is' Jehovah; that which is good in His eyes He doth.'

¹⁹ And Samuel groweth up, and Jehovah hath been with him, and hath not let fall any of his words to the earth; ²⁰ and all Israel know, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, that Samuel is established for a prophet to Jehovah. ²¹ And Jehovah addeth to appear in Shiloh, for Jehovah hath been revealed unto Samuel, in Shiloh, by the word of Jehovah.