1 Samuel 21

1 Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, Why are thou alone, and no man with thee?

Davide andò a Nob dal sacerdote Ahimelec; e Ahimelec gli venne incontro tutto tremante, e gli disse: “Perché sei solo e non hai alcuno teco?”

2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business about which I send thee, and what I have commanded thee, and I have assigned the young men to such and such a place.

Davide rispose al sacerdote Ahimelec: “Il re m’ha dato un’incombenza, e m’ha detto: Nessuno sappia nulla dell’affare per cui ti mando e dell’ordine che t’ho dato; e quanto alla mia gente, le ho detto di trovarsi in un dato luogo.

3 Now therefore what is under thy hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is present.

E ora che hai tu sotto mano? Dammi cinque pani o quel che si potrà trovare”.

4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread. If only the young men have kept themselves from women.

Il sacerdote rispose a Davide, dicendo: “Non ho sotto mano del pane comune, ma c’è del pane consacrato; ma la tua gente s’è almeno astenuta da contatto con donne?”

5 And David answered the priest, and said to him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days. When I came out the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?

Davide rispose al sacerdote: “Da che son partito, tre giorni fa, siamo rimasti senza donne; e quanto ai vasi della mia gente erano puri; e se anche la nostra incombenza è profana, essa sarà oggi santificata da quel che si porrà nei vasi.

6 So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there but the showbread that was taken from before Jehovah to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Il sacerdote gli diè dunque del pane consacrato perché non v’era quivi altro pane tranne quello della presentazione, ch’era stato tolto d’innanzi all’Eterno, per mettervi invece del pan caldo nel momento in cui si toglieva l’altro.

7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the foremost of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

Or quel giorno, un cert’uomo di tra i servi di Saul si trovava quivi, trattenuto in presenza dell’Eterno; si chiamava Doeg, era Edomita, e capo de’ pastori di Saul.

8 And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

E Davide disse ad Ahimelec: “Non hai tu qui disponibile una lancia o una spada? Perché io non ho preso meco né la mia spada né le mie armi, tanto premeva l’incombenza del re”.

9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou killed in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou will take that, take it, for there is no other except that here. And David said, There is none like that. Give it to me.

Il sacerdote rispose: “C’è la spada di Goliath, il Filisteo, che tu uccidesti nella valle de’ terebinti; è là involta in un panno dietro all’efod; se la vuoi prendere, prendila, perché qui non ve n’è altra fuori di questa”. E Davide disse: “Nessuna e pari a quella; dammela!”

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

Allora Davide si levò, e quel giorno fuggì per timore di Saul, e andò da Akis, re di Gath.

11 And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

E i servi del re dissero ad Akis: “Non è questi Davide, il re del paese? Non è egli colui del quale cantavan nelle loro danze: Saul ha uccisi i suoi mille, e Davide i suoi diecimila?

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

Davide si tenne in cuore queste parole, ed ebbe gran timore di Akis, re di Gath.

13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

Mutò il suo modo di fare in loro presenza, faceva il pazzo in mezzo a loro, tracciava de’ segni sui battenti delle porte, e si lasciava scorrer la saliva sulla barba.

14 Then Achish said to his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad. Why then have ye brought him to me?

E Akis disse ai suoi servi: “Guardate, e un pazzo; perché me l’avete menato?

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

Mi mancan forse de’ pazzi, che m’avete condotto questo a fare il pazzo in mia presenza? Costui non entrerà in casa mia!”