And David and his men went up and raided (A)the Geshurites, (B)the [a]Girzites, and the (C)Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from [b]of old, (D)as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt. Whenever David [c]attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish. 10 Then Achish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David would say, “Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of (E)the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of (F)the Kenites.” 11 David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’ ” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 27:8 Or Gezrites
  2. 1 Samuel 27:8 ancient times
  3. 1 Samuel 27:9 Lit. struck

Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites,(A) the Girzites and the Amalekites.(B) (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur(C) and Egypt.) Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive,(D) but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

10 When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel(E)” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.(F) 11 He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory.

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