1 Samuel 27

1 And David says to his heart, “Now I am consumed by the hand of Saul one day; there is nothing better for me than that I diligently escape to the land of the Philistines, and Saul has been despairing of me—of seeking me anymore in all the border of Israel, and I have escaped out of his hand.”

And David said, unto his own heart, Now, shall I be swept off, in a single day, by the hand of Saul, —there is nothing for me better than that I, escape, into the land of the Philistines, so shall Saul give up seeking for me any more, in any of the bounds of Israel, so shall I escape out of his hand.

2 And David rises, and passes over, he and six hundred men who [are] with him, to Achish son of Maoch king of Gath;

And David arose, and he and the six hundred men that were with him passed over, unto Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3 and David dwells with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each one with his household, [even] David and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelitess.

And David abode with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, —David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal, the Carmelite.

4 And it is declared to Saul that David has fled to Gath, and he has not added to seek him anymore.

And, when it was told Saul, that David had fled to Gath, he added no more, to seek him.

5 And David says to Achish, “Now if I have found grace in your eyes, they give a place to me in one of the cities of the field, and I dwell there, indeed, why does your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”

Then said David unto Achish—If, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there, —for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city, with thee?

6 And Achish gives Ziklag to him in that day, therefore Ziklag has been for the kings of Judah until this day.

So Achish gave him, on that day, Ziklag, —wherefore Ziklag hath pertained unto the kings of Judah, unto this day.

7 And the number of the days which David has dwelt in the field of the Philistines [is one year] of days and four months;

And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines became a year and four months.

8 and David and his men go up, and they push toward the Geshurite, and the Gerizite, and the Amalekite (for they are inhabitants of the land from of old), as you come to Shur and to the land of Egypt,

And David and his men went up, and made a raid against the Geshurites and the Gizrites and the Amalekites, —for, they, were the inhabitants of the land who had been from age-past times, as thou enterest Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt.

9 and David has struck the land, and does not keep alive man and woman, and has taken sheep, and oxen, and donkeys, and camels, and garments, and turns back, and comes to Achish.

Now, when David would smite a land, he used to save alive neither man nor woman, —but took sheep and oxen, and asses and camels, and apparel, and returned, and came in unto Achish.

10 And Achish says, “To where have you pushed today?” And David says, “Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelite, and to the south of the Kenite.”

Then said Achish, Whither have ye made a raid, to-day? And David said—Against the South of Judah, or against the South of the Jerahmeelites, or as far as the South of the Kenites.

11 David keeps alive neither man nor woman, to bring in [word] to Gath, saying, “Lest they declare [it] against us, saying, Thus David has done, and thus [is] his custom all the days that he has dwelt in the fields of the Philistines.”

But, neither man nor woman, used David to save alive, to bring into Gath, for he said, Lest they tell of us, saying, —So, hath David done, and, such, his manner, all the days that he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

12 And Achish believes in David, saying, “He has made himself utterly abhorred among his people in Israel, and has been for a perpetual servant to me.”

And Achish believed in David, saying, —He hath made himself, odious, unto his own people, unto Israel, therefore shall he be my servant all his life long.