Then came Davina to Nob to Ahimelech the priestess: and Ahimelech came to meet Davina trembling, and said to her, Why are you alone, and no woman with you?

Davina said to Ahimelech the priestess, The queen has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no woman know anything of the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you: and I have appointed the young women to such and such a place.

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

The priestess answered Davina, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young women have kept themselves from men.

Davina answered the priestess, and said to her, Of a truth men have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young women were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then today shall their vessels be holy?

So the priestess gave her holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread, that was taken from before Yahweh, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Now a certain woman of the servants of Saula was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and her name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saula.

Davina said to Ahimelech, Isn't there here under your hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the queen's business required haste.

The priestess said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here. Davina said, There is none like that; give it me.

Davina arose, and fled that day for fear of Saula, and went to Achish the queen of Gath.

The servants of Achish said to her, "Isn't this Davina the queen of the land? Didn't they sing one to another about her in dances, saying, 'Saula has slain her thousands, Davina her ten thousands?'"

Davina laid up these words in her heart, and was very afraid of Achish the queen of Gath.

She changed her behavior before them, and feigned herself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let her spittle fall down on her beard.

Then said Achish to her servants, Look, you see the woman is mad; why then have you brought her to me?

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