1 Samuel 27
1 And David saith unto his heart, 'Now am I consumed one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing for me better than that I diligently escape unto the land of the Philistines, and Saul hath been despairing of me — of seeking me any more 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 riseth, and passeth over, he and six hundred men who [are] with him, unto 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 dwelleth 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 hath fled to Gath, and he hath not added any more to seek him.
And, when it was told Saul, that David had fled to Gath, he added no more, to seek him.
5 And David saith unto Achish, 'If, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, they give to me a place in one of the cities of the field, and I dwell there, yea, why doth thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?'
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 giveth to him in that day Ziklag, therefore hath Ziklag been to the kings of Judah till 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 hath dwelt in the field of the Philistines [is] 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 goeth up and his men, and they push unto the Geshurite, and the Gerizite, and the Amalekite, (for they are inhabitants of the land from of old), as thou comest in to Shur and unto 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 hath smitten the land, and doth not keep alive man and woman, and hath taken sheep, and oxen, and asses, and camels, and garments, and turneth back, and cometh in unto 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 saith, 'Whither have ye pushed to-day?' and David saith, 'Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelite, and unto 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 Neither man nor woman doth David keep alive, to bring in [word] to Gath, saying, 'Lest they declare [it] against us, saying, Thus hath David done, and thus [is] his custom all the days that he hath 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 believeth in David, saying, 'He hath made himself utterly abhorred among his people, in Israel, and hath been to me for a servant age-during.'
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.
