1 Samuel 27
1 David loh a lungbuei ah, “Hnin at atah Saul kut neh ka khoengvoep uh pawn ni. Kai ham a then pawt lakah tah Philisti kho la ka poeng ka hal mai eh. Te daengah ni Israel khorhi khui boeih atah kai tlap ham akhaw Saul loh kai taeng lamkah vi uh vetih a kut te ka poeng ka hal eh,” a ti.
David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
2 Te phoeiah David te thoo tih, a taengkah hlang ya rhuk neh Gath manghai Maoch capa Akhish te a paan.
So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
3 David amah neh a hlang rhoek khaw, a hlang kah a imkhui khaw, David neh a yuu rhoi Jezreel nu Ahinoam, Karmel Nabal yuu Abigal khaw, Gath kah Akhish taengah kho a sak.
David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
4 Gath la David a yong te Saul taengla a puen pah ngawn dae David tlap koep ham te khoep rhoe khoep voel pawh.
And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
5 Te vaengah David loh Akhish taengah, “Na mikhmuh ah mikdaithen ni ka dang atah, khohmuen kah khopuei pakhat ah kai he hmuen m'pae mai lamtah pahoi ka om mai eh. Ram kah khopuei khuiah na sal loh namah taengah kho a sak te ba ham lae?” a ti nah.
Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”
6 Tekah khohnin ah anih te Akhish loh Ziklag kho te a paek. Te dongah Ziklag he tihnin hil Judah manghai rhoek kah la om.
That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.
7 David loh Philisti khohmuen ah kho a sak te a khohnin khaw amah tarhing atah kum at neh hla li lo coeng.
And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.
8 Te vaengah David neh a hlang rhoek loh cet uh tih Geshuri neh Gezari te a cuuk thil uh. Tedae te khohmuen kah khosa rhoek Gezari neh Amalek rhoek tah khosuen lamloh Shur neh Egypt kho duela na paan tangtae ni.
Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)
9 Khohmuen te David loh a ngawn tih huta khaw tongpa khaw hing sak pawh. Tedae boiva, saelhung, laak, kalauk neh himbai te a loh tih a mael daengah Akhish te a paan.
Whenever David attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would return to Achish,
10 Te vaengah Akhish loh, “Tihnin atah na muk mahpawt a?” a ti nah hatah David loh, “Judah tuithim neh Jerahmeli tuithim, Keni tuithim a?” a ti nah.
who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.”
11 Tedae David kah a saii neh a thui soah, “Kaimih kawng he Gath la a khuen vetih puen ve,” a ti dongah David loh huta khaw tongpa khaw hlun pawh. Tekah khosing nen ni Philisti kho kah a om tue khuiah kho a sak.
David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.
12 Te vaengah Akhish loh David te a tangnah tih, “A pilnam Israel taengah a bo rhim la rhim coeng tih kamah taengah kumhal sal la om saeh,” a ti.
So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”
