撒母耳記上 21

1 達味去諾布，到了阿希肋客那裏；阿希默肋客戰戰兢兢出來迎接達味，問他說：「為什麼你一個人來，沒有人隨從你﹖」

Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the cohen. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no man with you?"

2 達味回答阿希默肋客說：「君王今天吩咐我一件事，曾對說：我派你，吩咐你去作的事，別叫任何人知道。我已經和我的僮僕約定了某處見面。

David said to the cohen, "The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, 'Let no man know anything of the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you; and I have arranged to meet the young men at a certain place.'

3 現今，你手中若有五個餅，請給我，或給我別的什麼東西」。

Now, if there are five loaves of bread under your control, give them into my hand, or whatever there is."

4 司祭回答達味說：「我手中沒有普通餅，只有聖餅；但是你的僮僕們戒了女色沒有﹖」

And the cohen answered David, and said, "There is no common bread in my control, but there is holy bread. If the young men have kept themselves from women, they may eat of it."

5 達味回答司祭說：「當然，我們戒絕了女色；我出征時，僮僕們常是身潔的；這次上路雖為了俗務，但今天他們仍是身身的」。

And David answered the cohen, and said to him, "Truly women have been kept from us as always when I set out. All the young men are holy, even when it is an ordinary mission. So how much more today will their vessels be holy?"

6 於是司祭就將聖餅給了他，因為那天在沒有別的餅，只有供餅；即由上主面前撤下來，為另換上新的供餅。

So the cohen gave him what had been consecrated, for there was no bread there but the show bread, that had been removed before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

7 那一天，在那裏正有撒烏耳的一個臣僕留在上主面前，名叫多厄格，厄東人，是撒烏耳的侍衛長。──

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

8 達味又對阿希默肋客說：「你手邊有沒有一支槍或一把刀﹖我的刀和我的武器，沒有帶在手邊，因為君王的事很緊急」。

David said to Ahimelech, "Isn't there here under your control spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste."

9 司祭答說：「有你在厄拉谷中所殺的那培肋舍特人哥肋雅的刀。看，用外衣包著，放在「厄弗得」後面；假使你願意拿去，就拿去吧! 因為在這裏沒有別的」。達味答說：「沒有像這把刀更好的了! 就請你給我吧! 」

The cohen said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, look, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind an ephod. If you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here." David said, "There is none like that. Give it to me."

10 那一天，達味起身，逃避了撒烏耳的面，到了加特王阿基士前。

David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

11 阿基士的臣僕對王說：「這不是國王達味嗎﹖在歌舞中所歌頌的：撒烏耳殺了一千，達味殺了一萬，不就是他嗎﹖」

The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another about him in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"

12 達味細想這些話，在加特王阿基士前感到十分恐懼。

David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13 於是便在他們面前裝作傻子，在他們中佯作瘋子，亂敲門戶，鬍鬚上流著唾沬。

He changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and drummed on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard.

14 阿基士對臣僕說：「他們看，這是個瘋子，為什麼送他到我這裏來﹖

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

15 難道我缺乏瘋子，你們竟領他到這裏來，向我發瘋。這樣的人豈能進入我的宮室﹖」

Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"