1 Samuel 27
1 And Dauid said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: is it not better for me that I saue my selfe in the lande of the Philistims, and that Saul may haue no hope of me to seeke me any more in all the coastes of Israel, and so escape out of his hand?
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 Dauid therefore arose, and he, and the sixe hundreth men that were with him, went vnto Achish the sonne of Maoch King of Gath.
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 Dauid dwelt with Achish at Gath, he, and his men, euery man with his housholde, Dauid with his two wiues, Ahinoam the Izreelite, and Abigail Nabals wife the Carmelite.
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 tolde Saul that Dauid was fled to Gath: so he sought no more for him.
When Saul found out that David had run away to Gath, he didn't go on looking for him.
5 And Dauid saide vnto Achish, If I haue nowe founde peace in thine eyes, let them giue me a place in some other citie of the countrey, that I may dwell there: for why should thy seruant dwel in ye head citie of the kingdome 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 Achish gaue him Ziklag that same day: therefore Ziklag pertaineth vnto the kings of Iudah vnto 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 Dauid dwelt in the countrey of the Philistims, was foure moneths and certaine dayes.
David lived in the country of the Philistines for a year and four months.
8 Then Dauid and his men went vp, and inuaded the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites: for they inhabited the lande from the beginning, from the way, as thou goest to Shur, euen vnto the lande 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 Dauid smote the lande, and left neither man nor woman aliue, and tooke sheepe, and oxen, and asses, and camels, and apparell, and returned and came to Achish.
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 Achish said, Where haue ye bene a rouing this day? And Dauid answered, Against the South of Iudah, and against the South of the Ierahmeelites, and against the South of ye Kenites.
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 Dauid saued neither man nor woman aliue, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tel on vs, and say, So did Dauid, and so will be his maner all the while that he dwelleth in the countrey of the Philistims.
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 Achish beleeued Dauid, saying, He hath made his people of Israel vtterly to abhorre him: therefore he shalbe my seruant for euer.
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.”
