1 Samuel 21:10-15

English Standard Version

David Flees to Gath

¹⁰And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to ^(A)Achish the king of Gath. ¹¹And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? ^(B)Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”

¹²And David ^(C)took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. ¹³So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. ¹⁴Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? ¹⁵Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

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1 Samuel 21:10-15

New American Standard Bible

¹⁰Then David set out and fled that day from Saul, and went to ^(A)Achish king of Gath. ¹¹But the ^(B)servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? ^(C)Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

¹²David ^(D)took these words ^[a]to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath. ¹³So he ^(E)disguised his sanity while in their sight and acted insanely in their ^[b]custody, and he scribbled on the doors of the gate, and drooled on his beard. ¹⁴Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is behaving like an insane person. Why do you bring him to me? ¹⁵Do I lack insane people, that you have brought this one to behave like an insane person in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?”