1 Samuel 21:1-9 - David Encounters The Priests Of Nob

¹ Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was astonished at his coming, and said unto him, "Why cometh thou thyself alone, and no man with thee?"

² And David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king hath commanded me to do a certain thing and said unto me, 'Let no man know whereabouts I send and what I have commanded thee to do.' And therefore I have appointed my servants to such and such places. ³ And now what hast thou under thine hand? Give me five loaves of bread or what cometh to hand."

⁴ And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread under mine hand - but there is hallowed bread, if the young men have abstained only from women."

⁵ And David answered the priest and said unto him, "Of a truth, women hath been locked up from us about a three days, when I came out: and the vessels of the young men were holy. Howbeit, this way is impure: but it shall be hallowed in the vessel." ⁶ And so the priest gave him hallowed bread, for there was none other bread there save showbreads that were taken from before the LORD; to put fresh bread there the day that it was taken away.

⁷ And there was there, the same day, a certain man of the servants of Saul abiding before the LORD named Doeg; an Edomite, the chiefest of Saul's herdsmen.

⁸ And David said unto Ahimelech, "Is not here under thine hand other spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor mine harness with me, because the king's business required haste."

⁹ Then the priest answered, "The sword of Goliath, the Philistine whom thou slewest in Oakdale; that is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here." And David said, "There is none to that, give it me."