1 A nd David saith unto his heart, `Now am I consumed one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing for me better than that I diligently escape unto the land of the Philistines, and Saul hath been despairing of me -- of seeking me any more in all the border of Israel, and I have escaped out of his hand.'

David said to himself, “Some day Saul will kill me. There is nothing better for me than to run to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will become tired of looking for me any more in the land of Israel. And I will get away from him.”

2 A nd David riseth, and passeth over, he and six hundred men who with him, unto Achish son of Maoch king of Gath;

So David got up and crossed over with his 600 men to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3 a nd David dwelleth with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each one with his household, David and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelitess.

David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men. Each man had those of his family with him. David had with him his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, who had been Nabal’s wife.

4 A nd it is declared to Saul that David hath fled to Gath, and he hath not added any more to seek him.

When Saul was told that David had run to Gath, he looked for him no more.

5 A nd David saith unto Achish, `If, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, they give to me a place in one of the cities of the field, and I dwell there, yea, why doth thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?'

Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be given a place in one of the country towns, that I may live there. For why should your servant live with you in the city of the king?”

6 A nd Achish giveth to him in that day Ziklag, therefore hath Ziklag been to the kings of Judah till this day.

So Achish gave him the town of Ziklag that day. Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.

7 A nd the number of the days which David hath dwelt in the field of the Philistines days and four months;

David lived in the country of the Philistines for a year and four months.

8 a nd David goeth up and his men, and they push unto the Geshurite, and the Gerizite, and the Amalekite, (for they are inhabitants of the land from of old), as thou comest in to Shur and unto the land of Egypt,

Now David and his men went up to fight the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. For they had been living in the land a long time, as you come to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt.

9 a nd David hath smitten the land, and doth not keep alive man and woman, and hath taken sheep, and oxen, and asses, and camels, and garments, and turneth back, and cometh in unto Achish.

David destroyed the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive. He took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish.

10 A nd Achish saith, `Whither have ye pushed to-day?' and David saith, `Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelite, and unto the south of the Kenite.'

Achish said, “Where have you gone to battle today?” And David said, “Against the Negev of Judah, the Negev of the Jerahmeelites, and the Negev of the Kenites.”

11 N either man nor woman doth David keep alive, to bring in to Gath, saying, `Lest they declare against us, saying, Thus hath David done, and thus his custom all the days that he hath dwelt in the fields of the Philistines.'

David did not leave a man or woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “They might tell about us. They might say, ‘This is what David has done all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’”

12 A nd Achish believeth in David, saying, `He hath made himself utterly abhorred among his people, in Israel, and hath been to me for a servant age-during.'

And Achish believed David, saying, “He has made the people of Israel hate him. So he will become my servant forever.”