I Samuelis 27

1 Et ait David in corde suo: Aliquando incidam una die in manus Saul: nonne melius est ut fugiam, et salver in terra Philisthinorum, ut desperet Saul, cessetque me quærere in cunctis finibus Israël? fugiam ergo manus ejus.

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 Et surrexit David, et abiit ipse, et sexcenti viri cum eo, ad Achis filium Maoch regem Geth.

So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.

3 Et habitavit David cum Achis in Geth, ipse et viri ejus: vir et domus ejus: et David, et duæ uxores ejus, Achinoam Jezrahelitis, et Abigail uxor Nabal Carmeli.

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 Et nuntiatum est Sauli quod fugisset David in Geth, et non addidit ultra quærere eum.

And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

5 Dixit autem David ad Achis: Si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, detur mihi locus in una urbium regionis hujus, ut habitem ibi: cur enim manet servus tuus in civitate regis tecum?

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 Dedit itaque ei Achis in die illa Siceleg: propter quam causam facta est Siceleg regum Juda usque in diem hanc.

That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.

7 Fuit autem numerus dierum quibus habitavit David in regione Philisthinorum, quatuor mensium.

And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.

8 Et ascendit David et viri ejus, et agebant prædas de Gessuri, et de Gerzi, et de Amalecitis: hi enim pagi habitabantur in terra antiquitus, euntibus Sur usque ad terram Ægypti.

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 Et percutiebat David omnem terram, nec relinquebat viventem virum et mulierem: tollensque oves, et boves, et asinos, et camelos, et vestes, revertebatur, et veniebat ad Achis.

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 Dicebat autem ei Achis: In quem irruisti hodie? Respondebat David: Contra meridiem Judæ, et contra meridiem Jerameel, et contra meridiem Ceni.

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 Virum et mulierem non vivificabat David, nec adducebat in Geth, dicens: Ne forte loquantur adversum nos: Hæc fecit David: et hoc erat decretum illi omnibus diebus quibus habitavit in regione Philisthinorum.

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 Credidit ergo Achis David, dicens: Multa mala operatus est contra populum suum Israël: erit igitur mihi servus sempiternus.

So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”