< 1 Samuel 21 >

1 Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no man with you?”
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 David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me to do something, and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you. I have sent the young men to a certain 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 your hand? Please give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever is available.”
E ora che hai tu sotto mano? Dammi cinque pani o quel che si potrà trovare”.
4 The priest answered David, and said, “I have no common bread, 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 David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only 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 show bread that was taken from before the LORD, to be replaced with 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 the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best 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 David said to Ahimelech, “Is not there here under your hand spear or sword? For I have not brought my sword or 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 The priest said, “Behold, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you would like to take that, take it, for there is no other except that here.” 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 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 The servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did not they sing to one another about 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 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 He changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on 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, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you 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 you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should 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!”

< 1 Samuel 21 >