1 Samuel 27
1 And David said in his heart: I shall gone day or other fall into the hands of Saul: is it not better for me to flee, and to be saved in the land of the Philistines, that Saul may despair of me, and cease to seek me in all the coasts of Israel? I will flee then out of his hands.
But David said to himself, “One of these days Saul is going to get me. I think I'd better run away to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up looking for me all over Israel and he won't catch me.”
2 And David arose and went away, both he and the six hundred men that were with him, to Achis the son of Maoch, king of Geth.
So David and the six hundred men with him set off, crossed the border, and went to Achish, son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
3 And David dwelt with Achis at Geth, he and his men: every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
David and his men settled down with Achish in Gath. All the men had their families with them, and David had his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel, Nabal's widow.
4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Geth, and he sought no more after him.
When Saul found out that David had run away to Gath, he didn't go on looking for him.
5 And David said to Achis: If I have found favour in thy sight, let a place be given me in one of the cities of this country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?
David said to Achish, “Please do me a favor: assign me somewhere in one of the towns in the countryside so I can live there. I, your servant, don't really deserve to live in the royal city with you.”
6 Then Achis gave him Siceleg that day: for which reason Siceleg belongeth to the kings of Juda unto this day.
Achish gave him Ziklag right away, and the town still belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.
7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines, was four months.
David lived in the country of the Philistines for a year and four months.
8 And David and his men went up, and pillaged Gessuri, and Gerzi, and the Amalecites: for these were of old the inhabitants of the countries, as men go to Sur, even to the land of Egypt.
During that time David and his men were raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. These people had lived in the land as far as Shur and Egypt from ancient times.
9 And David wasted all the land, and left neither man nor woman alive: and took away the sheep and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achis.
When David attacked a place, he did not leave anybody alive. He took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would go back to Achish.
10 And Achis said to him: Whom hast thou gone against today? David answered: Against the south of Juda, and against the south of Jerameel, and against the south of Ceni.
When Achish asked him, “Where have you been raiding today?” David would reply, “In the desert of Judah,” or “the desert of Jerahmeel,” or “the desert of the Kenites.”
11 And David saved neither man nor woman, neither brought he any of them to Geth, saying: Lest they should speak against us. So did David, and such was his proceeding all the days that he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
David didn't leave anybody alive that could come to Gath because he thought, “They might tell on us and say, ‘David did this.’” This is what he did all the time he lived in the country of the Philistines.
12 And Achis believed David, saying: He hath done much harm to his people Israel: therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
Achish trusted David, and said to himself, “He's made himself so offensive to his people the Israelites that he'll have to serve me forever.”
