1 David said in his heart, "I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So I will escape out of his hand." 2 David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 David lived 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. 4 Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped looking for him.

5 David said to Achish, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?" 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 The number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

8 David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land who were of old, on the way to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. 9 David struck the land, and saved no man or woman alive, and took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned, and came to Achish.

10 Achish said, "Against whom have you made a raid today?"

David said, "Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites." 11 David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, "Lest they should tell about us, saying, ‘David did this, and this has been his way all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’"

12 Achish believed David, saying, "He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he will be my servant forever."

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.