| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1David told himself, "One of these days I'll perish by Saul's hand. There is nothing better for me to do than to escape to Philistine territory. Saul will give up searching for me anymore within the borders of Israel, so I'll escape from him." | 1But David kept thinking to himself, “Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me in Israelite territory, and I will finally be safe.” |
| 2So David got up, and he and the 600 men who were with him went to Maoch's son Achish, the king of Gath. | 2So David took his 600 men and went over and joined Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath. |
| 3David stayed with Achish in Gath along with his men, each of whom was with his household. David had his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel. | 3David and his men and their families settled there with Achish at Gath. David brought his two wives along with him—Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel. |
| 4Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, and he did not continue to search for him. | 4Word soon reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped hunting for him. |
| 5David told Achish, "If it pleases you, give me a place in one of the outlying towns, so I may live there. Why should your servant live with you in the royal city?" | 5One day David said to Achish, “If it is all right with you, we would rather live in one of the country towns instead of here in the royal city.” |
| 6So that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and therefore, Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah until the present time. | 6So Achish gave him the town of Ziklag (which still belongs to the kings of Judah to this day), |
| 7David lived in Philistine territory for a year and four months. | 7and they lived there among the Philistines for a year and four months. |
| 8David and his men went up and raided the descendants of Geshur, the descendants of Girzi, and the Amalekites, for they had been living in the land since ancient times, from the entrance of Shur all the way to the land of Egypt. | 8David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites—people who had lived near Shur, toward the land of Egypt, since ancient times. |
| 9David struck the land and did not leave a man or woman alive. He took sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing, and then came back and went to Achish. | 9David did not leave one person alive in the villages he attacked. He took the sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing before returning home to see King Achish. |
| 10Achish said, "Where did you raid today?" David answered, "Against the Negev of Judah, against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites, and against the Negev of the Kenites." | 10“Where did you make your raid today?” Achish would ask. And David would reply, “Against the south of Judah, the Jerahmeelites, and the Kenites.” |
| 11David did not leave a man or woman alive to bring to Gath. He told himself, "Otherwise, they'll say, 'This is what David is doing, and this has been his practice all the time he has lived in Philistine territory.'" | 11No one was left alive to come to Gath and tell where he had really been. This happened again and again while he was living among the Philistines. |
| 12Achish believed David, telling himself, "He has certainly made himself repulsive to his people in Israel. He will be my servant forever." | 12Achish believed David and thought to himself, “By now the people of Israel must hate him bitterly. Now he will have to stay here and serve me forever!” |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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