ดาวิดท่ามกลางชาวฟีลิสเตีย

27 แต่ดาวิดคิดว่า “ไม่วันใดก็วันหนึ่งเราจะต้องพินาศด้วยน้ำมือของซาอูล เราหนีไปยังดินแดนฟีลิสเตียเป็นดีที่สุด ซาอูลจะได้เลิกตามล่าเราไปทั่วอิสราเอล และเราจะรอดพ้นจากพระหัตถ์ของพระองค์”

ดาวิดกับพรรคพวกหกร้อยคนจึงพากันไปเข้าเฝ้ากษัตริย์อาคีชบุตรมาโอคแห่งกัท ดาวิดกับพวกไปอาศัยอยู่กับอาคีชที่กัท ต่างก็พาครอบครัวไปด้วย ดาวิดมีภรรยาสองคนคืออาหิโนอัมแห่งยิสเรเอลและอาบีกายิลแห่งคารเมลภรรยาม่ายของนาบาล เมื่อซาอูลทราบว่าดาวิดหนีไปที่กัทแล้ว จึงเลิกติดตามดาวิด

แล้วดาวิดทูลอาคีชว่า “หากข้าพระบาทเป็นที่โปรดปรานในสายพระเนตรของฝ่าพระบาท ขอทรงโปรดให้ข้าพระบาทอาศัยอยู่ในที่สักแห่งหนึ่งในชนบท ควรหรือที่ข้าพระบาทจะอยู่ในเมืองหลวงกับฝ่าพระบาท?”

ในวันนั้นอาคีชจึงประทานเมืองศิกลากแก่ดาวิด เมืองนั้นจึงขึ้นกับกษัตริย์แห่งยูดาห์ตั้งแต่นั้นมา ดาวิดอาศัยอยู่ในแผ่นดินฟีลิสเตียเป็นเวลาหนึ่งปีกับสี่เดือน

ระหว่างนั้นดาวิดกับพวกได้ออกปล้นชาวเกชูร์ เกอร์ซี และอามาเลข (ซึ่งชนเหล่านี้อาศัยอยู่ในถิ่นนั้น ไกลไปถึงเมืองชูร์และอียิปต์ตั้งแต่สมัยโบราณ) เมื่อดาวิดบุกโจมตีเมืองใด เขาจะไม่ปล่อยให้มีผู้หญิงหรือผู้ชายรอดชีวิตไปได้แม้แต่คนเดียว แต่จะยึดเอาแกะ วัว ลา อูฐ และเสื้อผ้า แล้วกลับมาเข้าเฝ้าอาคีช

10 เมื่ออาคีชถามว่า “วันนี้ไปปล้นที่ไหนมาบ้าง?” ดาวิดก็จะทูลตอบว่า “เนเกบในยูดาห์” หรือไม่ก็ “เนเกบในเยราห์เมเอล” หรือ “เนเกบของชาวเคไนต์” 11 ดาวิดไม่ปล่อยให้ทั้งหญิงและชายเหลือรอดกลับมาที่เมืองกัทเลย เพราะคิดว่า “คนเหล่านั้นอาจมาฟ้องว่า ‘ดาวิดได้ทำอะไรไปบ้าง’ ” เป็นเช่นนี้ครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า ตลอดเวลาที่ดาวิดอาศัยอยู่ในแผ่นดินฟีลิสเตีย 12 อาคีชทรงไว้ใจดาวิดและทรงดำริว่า “ถึงตอนนี้ประชากรอิสราเอลจะต้องเกลียดชังดาวิดเป็นที่สุด คราวนี้เขาจะอยู่ที่นี่รับใช้เราตลอดไป”

David Among the Philistines

27 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

So David and the six hundred men(A) with him left and went(B) over to Achish(C) son of Maok king of Gath. David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives:(D) Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag,(E) and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. David lived(F) in Philistine territory a year and four months.

Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites,(G) the Girzites and the Amalekites.(H) (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur(I) and Egypt.) Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive,(J) 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(K)” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.(L) 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. 12 Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious(M) to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.(N)

27 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 shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

And David dwelt 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.

And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

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 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road 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 saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

David Allied with the Philistines

27 And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will [a]despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.” Then David arose (A)and went over with the six hundred men who were with him (B)to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David (C)with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow. And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.

Then David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore (D)Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. Now [b]the time that David (E)dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months.

And David and his men went up and raided (F)the Geshurites, (G)the [c]Girzites, and the (H)Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from [d]of old, (I)as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt. Whenever David [e]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 (J)the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of (K)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. 12 So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 27:1 despair of searching for
  2. 1 Samuel 27:7 Lit. the number of days
  3. 1 Samuel 27:8 Or Gezrites
  4. 1 Samuel 27:8 ancient times
  5. 1 Samuel 27:9 Lit. struck