David and the Philistines 1 ULT And David said to his heart,“Now I will be swept away one day by the hand of Saul.{ There is} no good for me except escaping, I should escape to the land of the Philistines. And Saul will despair of me to seek me again in all of the border of Israel, and I will escape from 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 ULT And David arose and passed over, he and 600 men who{ were} with him, to Achish. The son of Maoch, the 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 ULT And David dwelled with Achish in Gath, he and his men, a man and his house, David and the two of his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, the wife of Nabal. 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 ULT And it was declared to Saul that David had fled{ to} Gath, and he did not add to seek him more. BSB BSB: And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
5 ULT And David said to Achish,“Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, may they give to me a place in one of the cities of the field, and let me dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the city of the kingship 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 ULT So on that day Achish gave to him Ziklag.(Therefore Ziklag is 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 ULT And the number of the days that David dwelled in the field of the Philistines was days and four months. BSB BSB: And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.
8 ULT And David and his men went up and raided against the Geshurite and the Girzite and the Amalekite(for they were dwelling in the land, that from ancient times) in your going to Shur and 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 ULT And David struck the land and did not let a man or a woman live. And he took sheep and cattle and donkeys and camels and garments. And he 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 ULT And Achish said,“Have you not raided today?” And David said,“Against the Negeb of Judah” or“against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelite” or“against the Negeb of the Kenite.” 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 ULT Now David did not let a man or a woman live to bring{ to} Gath, saying,“Lest they declare about us, saying,‘Thus did David do.’” And this{ was} his custom all of the days that he dwelled in the field 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 ULT And Achish trusted in David, saying,“Stinking, he stinks among his people in Israel, so he will be to me for a servant forever.” 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.