1 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 will despair of me to seek me any more within all the limits of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.2 And David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.3 And David abode with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household; David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jizreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.4 And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; and he sought no more for him.5 And David said to Achish, If now I have found favour in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some country-town, that I may abide there; for why should thy servant abide in the royal city with thee?6 And Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.7 And the time that David abode in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.8 And David and his men went up and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the Gerzites, and the Amalekites: for those were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, and as far as the land of Egypt.9 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.10 So Achish said, Have ye not made a raid to-day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.11 And David left neither man nor woman alive, to bring {them} to Gath, for he said, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David. And such was his custom as long as he abode in the country of the Philistines.12 And Achish trusted David, saying, He has made himself utterly odious among his people Israel; and he shall be my servant for ever.

1 En Dawid het by homself gesê: Nou sal ek een van die dae omkom deur die hand van Saul; daar is vir my niks goeds nie, tensy ek dadelik ontsnap na die land van die Filistyne; dan sal Saul die hoop opgee om my langer in die hele grondgebied van Israel te soek, en ek sal uit sy hand ontsnap.2 Dawid maak toe klaar, en hy saam met die ses honderd man wat by hom was, het deurgetrek na Agis, die seun van Maog, die koning van Gat.3 En Dawid het by Agis gebly in Gat, hy en sy manne, elkeen met sy huisgesin; Dawid met sy twee vroue, Ah¡noam uit J¡sreël en Ab¡gail, die vrou van Nabal, die Karmeliet.4 Toe Saul tyding kry dat Dawid na Gat gevlug het, het hy verder nie meer na hom gesoek nie.5 En Dawid het vir Agis gesê: As ek dan guns in u oë gevind het, laat hulle my tog 'n plek gee in een van die plattelandse stede, dat ek daar kan woon; waarom tog sou u dienaar in die koninklike stad by u woon?6 Daarop gee Agis dieselfde dag Siklag aan hom; daarom het Siklag aan die konings van Juda behoort tot vandag toe.7 En die getal dae wat Dawid in die land van die Filistyne gewoon het, was een jaar en vier maande.8 En Dawid het met sy manne opgetrek, en hulle het die Gesuriete en die Girsiete en die Amalekiete oorval, want hulle was van ouds die bewoners van die land in die rigting van Sur en tot aan Egipteland.9 En so dikwels as Dawid die land oorval, laat hy geen man of vrou lewe nie, en neem kleinvee en beeste en esels en kamele en klere saam. En as hy teruggaan en by Agis kom,10 vra Agis: Waar het julle vandag 'n inval gedoen? Dan sê Dawid: In die Suidland van Juda en in die Suidland van die Jeragmeëliete en in die Suidland van die Keniete.11 Maar geen man of vrou het Dawid laat lewe om die na Gat te bring nie, want hy het gedink: Anders sal hulle ons aangee en sê: So het Dawid gehandel. En dit was sy manier al die dae wat hy in die land van die Filistyne gewoon het.12 En Agis het Dawid vertrou en gesê: Hy het homself vir goed by sy volk, by Israel, gehaat gemaak en sal vir altyd my onderdaan wees.