1 T hen David said to himself, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.”

لَكِنَّ داوُدَ قالَ فِي نَفسِهِ: «لا بُدَّ أنْ أقَعَ فِي يَدِ شاوُلَ يَوماً ما فَيَقتُلَنِي. وَإنَّ أفضَلَ حَلٍّ لِي هُوَ أنْ أهرُبَ إلَى أرْضِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ. فَحِينَئِذٍ، سَيَكُفُّ شاوُلُ عَنِ البَحْثِ عَنِّي فِي إسْرائِيلَ. وَبِهَذا أنجُو مِنهُ.»

2 S o David arose and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

فَتَرَكَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ السِّتُّ مِئَةِ إسْرائِيلَ، وَلَجَأُوا إلَى أخِيشَ بْنِ مَعُوكَ مَلِكِ جِتَّ.

3 A nd David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow.

فَسَكَنَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ وَعائِلاتُهُمْ فِي جَتَّ مَعَ أخِيشَ. وَكانَتْ مَعَ داوُدَ زَوجَتاهُ أخِينُوعَمَ الَّتِي مِنْ يَزرَعيلَ، وَأبِيجايِلُ، أرمَلَةُ نابالَ، الَّتِي مِنَ الكَرمِلِ.

4 N ow it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.

وَوَصَلَ شاوُلَ خَبَرُ هَرَبِ داوُدَ إلَى جَتَّ، فَتَوَقَّفَ عَنِ البَحثِ عَنهُ.

5 T hen David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

وَقالَ داوُدُ لأخِيشَ: «إنْ كُنتَ راضِياً عَنِّي، فَأعطِنِي مَكاناً فِي أحَدِ الأماكِنِ الرِّيفِيَّةِ لِأسكُنَ فِيهِ. فَما أنا إلّا خادِمُكَ. وَلا يَجُوزُ لِي أنْ أسكُنَ مَعَكَ فِي عاصِمَتِكَ هَذِهِ.»

6 S o Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.

فَأعطاهُ أخِيشُ فِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ مَدِينَةَ صِقلَغَ. فَصارَتْ صِقلِغُ مُنذُ ذَلِكَ الوَقتِ لِمُلُوكِ يَهُوذا.

7 T he number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

فَسَكَنَ داوُدُ مَعَ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ سَنَةً وَأربَعَةَ أشهُرٍ. داوُدُ يَخدَعُ المَلِكَ أخِيش

8 N ow David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to Shur even as far as the land of Egypt.

وَذَهَبَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ لِكَي يُحارِبُوا عَمالِيقَ وَالجَشُورِيِّينَ وَالْجَرْزِّيِّينَ السّاكِنِينَ فِي المِنطَقَةِ المُمتَدَّةِ مِنْ شُورٍ حَتَّى مِصْرَ. فَتَغَلَّبَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ عَلَيهِمْ وَأخَذُوا ثَرَواتِهِمْ.

9 D avid attacked the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish.

هَزَمَ داوُدُ سُكّانَ تِلكَ المِنطَقَةِ وَقَتَلَهُمْ جَمِيعاً، وَأخَذَ خِرافَهُمْ وَبَقَرَهُمْ وَحَمِيرَهُمْ وَجِمالَهُمْ وَمَلابِسَهُمْ وَعادَ بِها إلَى أخِيشَ.

10 N ow Achish said, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David said, “Against the Negev of Judah and against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites and against the Negev of the Kenites.”

وَفِي كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ، كانَ أخِيشُ يَسألُ داوُدَ: «مَنْ غَزَوْتَ اليَومَ؟» فَيُجِيبُ داوُدُ: «غَزَوْتُ الجُزءَ الجَنُوبِيَّ مِنْ يَهُوذا،» أوْ: «غَزَوْتُ الجُزءَ الجَنُوبِيَّ مِنْ يَرْحَمئِيلَ،» أوْ «غَزَوْتُ الجُزءَ الجَنُوبِيَّ مِنْ أرْضِ القِينِيِّينَ.»

11 D avid did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, “Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, ‘So has David done and so has been his practice all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’”

وَلَمْ يُحضِرْ داوُدُ أسِيراً أوْ أسِيرَةً مَعَهُ إلَى جَتَّ. فَقَدْ قالَ فِي نَفسِهِ: «إنْ أبقَيتُ عَلَى أحَدٍ مِنهُمْ حَيّاً، فَرُبَّما يُخبِرُ أخِيشَ بِحَقِيقَةِ ما فَعَلتُهُ.» هَكَذا كانَ يَفعَلُ داوُدُ طَوالَ مُدَّةِ إقامَتِهِ فِي أرْضِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ.

12 S o Achish believed David, saying, “He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever.”

فَبَدَأ أخِيْشُ يَثِقُ بِداوُدَ، وَقالَ فِي نَفسِهِ: «صارَ الآنَ داوُدَ مَكرُوهاً جِدّاً عَندَ شَعبِهِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ، فَالآنَ سَيَخدِمُنِي إلَى الأبَدِ.»