David and the Philistines 1 AKJV And 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 speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. BSB BSB: David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
2 AKJV And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. BSB BSB: So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
3 AKJV And David dwelled 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. BSB BSB: David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
4 AKJV And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. BSB BSB: And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
5 AKJV And David said to Achish, If I have now found grace in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you? BSB BSB: Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”
6 AKJV Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: why Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. BSB BSB: That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.
7 AKJV And the time that David dwelled in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. BSB BSB: And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.
8 AKJV And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. BSB BSB: Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)
9 AKJV And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. BSB BSB: Whenever David attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would return to Achish,
10 AKJV And Achish said, Where have you made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. BSB BSB: who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.”
11 AKJV And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwells in the country of the Philistines. BSB BSB: David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.
12 AKJV And Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever. BSB BSB: So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.