1 Samuel, 27

1. But David said to himself: "I shall perish some day at the hand of Saul. I have no choice but to escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will give up his continual search for me throughout the land of Israel, and I shall be out of his reach."

1. 'One of these days,' David thought, 'I shall perish at the hand of Saul. The best thing that I can do is to get away into the country of the Philistines; then Saul will give up tracking me through the length and breadth of Israel and I shall be safe from him.'

2. Accordingly, David departed with his six hundred men and went over to Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath.

2. So David set off and went over, he and his six hundred men, to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3. David and his men lived in Gath with Achish; each one had his family, and David had his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel.

3. He settled at Gath with Achish, he and his men, each with his family and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel.

4. When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

4. When news reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, he stopped searching for him.

5. David said to Achish: "If I meet with your approval, let me have a place to live in one of the country towns. Why should your servant live with you in the royal city?"

5. David said to Achish, 'If I have won your favour, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns, where I can live. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?'

6. That same day Achish gave him Ziklag, which has, therefore, belonged to the kings of Judah up to the present time.

6. That very day Achish gave him Ziklag; and this is why Ziklag has been the property of the kings of Judah to the present day.

7. In all, David lived a year and four months in the country of the Philistines.

7. The time that David stayed in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.

8. David and his men went up and made raids on the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites-peoples living in the land between Telam, on the approach to Shur, and the land of Egypt.

8. David and his men went out on raids against the Geshurites, Girzites and Amalekites, for these are the tribes inhabiting the region which, from Telam, goes in the direction of Shur, as far as Egypt.

9. In attacking the land David would not leave a man or woman alive, but would carry off sheep, oxen, asses, camels, and clothes. On his return he brought these to Achish,

9. David laid the countryside waste and left neither man nor woman alive; he carried off the sheep and cattle, the donkeys, camels and clothing, and then came back again to Achish.

10. who asked, "Whom did you raid this time?" And David answered, "The Negeb of Judah," or "The Negeb of Jerahmeel," or "The Negeb of the Kenites."

10. Achish would ask, 'Where did you go raiding today?' David would reply, 'Against the Negeb of Judah,' or 'the Negeb of Jerahmeel,' or 'the Negeb of the Kenites.'

11. But David would not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, fearing that they would betray him by saying, "This is what David did." This was his custom as long as he lived in the country of the Philistines.

11. David spared neither man nor woman to bring back alive to Gath, 'in case', as he thought, 'they inform on us and say, "David did such and such." ' This was the way David conducted his raids all the time he stayed in Philistine territory.

12. And Achish trusted David, thinking, "He must certainly be detested by his people Israel. I shall have him as my vassal forever."

12. Achish trusted David. 'He has made himself detested by his own people Israel,' he thought, 'and so will be my servant for ever.'