1 Samuel 27

1And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

1David thought to himself, 'One of these days Saul will catch me and kill me. The best thing I can do is escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up looking for me in Israel, and I will finally be safe from him.'

2And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, unto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

2So David and his six hundred men left and went over to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.

3And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.

3David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man brought his family, and David brought his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, who had been Nabal's wife.

4And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

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

5And David said unto Achish, If now I have found favor 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?

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

6Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

6So that day Achish gave him the town of Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.

7And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

7David lived in the territory of the Philistines for a full year and four months.

8And David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those nations were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

8David and his men went out and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. These groups had lived in the area that extends toward Shur and down to Egypt for a long time.

9And David smote the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel; and he returned, and came to Achish.

9Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a single man or woman alive. He took the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing, and then he returned to Achish.

10And Achish said, Against whom have ye made a raid to-day? And David said, Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites.

10When Achish asked, 'Where did you go raiding today?' David would answer, 'Against the southern part of Judah,' or 'Against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites,' or 'Against the southern area of the Kenites.'

11And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David, and so hath been his manner all the while he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

11David did not leave any man or woman alive to be brought back to Gath. He thought, 'They might inform on us and say, "This is what David did."' This was his practice the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.

12And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

12Achish trusted David and thought, 'He has made his own people, the Israelites, hate him so much that he will be my servant forever.'