1 Samuel 27
27
David Among the Philistines
1David thought, “Some day Saul will destroy me. So the best thing I can do is escape. I’ll go to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop looking for me everywhere in Israel. His hand won’t be able to reach me.”
2So David and his 600 men left Israel. They went to Achish, the king of Gath. He was the son of Maok. 3David and his men made their homes in Gath near Achish. Each of David’s men had his family with him. David had his two wives with him. They were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel. Abigail was Nabal’s widow. 4Saul was told that David had run away to Gath. So he didn’t look for David anymore.
5David said to Achish, “If you are pleased with me, give me a place in one of your country towns. I can live there. I don’t really need to live near you in the royal city.”
6So on that day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag. It has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since that time. 7David lived in Philistine territory for a year and four months.
8Sometimes David and his men would go up and attack the Geshurites. At other times they would attack the Girzites or the Amalekites. All those people had lived in the land that reached all the way to Shur and Egypt. They had been there for a long time. 9When David would attack an area, he wouldn’t leave a man or woman alive. But he would take their sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels and clothes. Then he would return to Achish.
10Achish would ask, “Who did you attack today?” David would answer, “The people who live in the Negev Desert of Judah.” Or he would answer, “The people in the Negev Desert of Jerahmeel.” Or he would answer, “The people in the Negev Desert of the Kenites.” 11David wouldn’t leave a man or woman alive to be brought back to Gath. He thought, “They might tell on us. They might tell Achish who we really attacked.” That’s what David did as long as he lived in Philistine territory. 12Achish trusted David. He thought, “David’s own people, the Israelites, can’t stand him anymore. So he’ll be my servant for life.”
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1 Samuel 27: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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1 Samuel 27
27
1 And David said in his heart: "At some time, I will one day fall into the hands of Saul. Is it not better if I flee, and be saved in the land of the Philistines, so that Saul may despair and cease to seek me in all the parts of Israel? Therefore, I will flee away from his hands."
2 And David rose up and went away, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish, the son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men: each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
4 And it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath. And so, he did not continue to seek him.
5 And David said to Achish: "If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given to me in one of the cities of this region, so that I may live there. For why should your servant stay in the city of the king with you?"
6 And so, Achish gave Ziklag to him on that day. And for this reason, Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah, even to this day.
7 Now the number of days that David lived in the region of the Philistines was four months.
8 And David and his men went up and took plunder from Geshuri, and from Girzi, and from the Amalekites. For in the land long ago, these were the inhabitants of the area, going from Shur as far as the land of Egypt.
9 And David struck the entire land. Neither did he leave alive man or woman. And he took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the garments. And he returned and went to Achish.
10 Then Achish said to him, "Whom did you go out against today?" And David responded, "Against the south of Judah, and against the south of Jerahmeel, and against the south of Keni."
11 Neither man nor woman was left alive by David. Neither did he lead back any of them to Gath, saying, "Lest perhaps they may speak against us." David did these things. And this was his decision during all the days that he lived in the region of the Philistines.
12 Therefore, Achish trusted David, saying: "He has worked much harm against his people Israel. And so, he will be a servant to me forever."
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