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.”

² So David and the six hundred men^(A) with him left and went^(B) over to Achish^(C) son of Maok king of Gath. ³ 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. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵ 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?”

⁶ So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag,^(E) and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. ⁷ David lived^(F) in Philistine territory a year and four months.

⁸ 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.) ⁹ 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 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,^(A) and they follow me.^{(B) 28} I give them eternal life,^(C) and they shall never perish;^(D) no one will snatch them out of my hand.^{(E) 29} My Father, who has given them to me,^(F) is greater than all^[a];^(G) no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”^(H)

³⁰ And those he predestined,^(A) he also called;^(B) those he called, he also justified;^(C) those he justified, he also glorified.^(D)

More Than Conquerors

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things?^(E) If God is for us,^(F) who can be against us?^{(G) 32} He who did not spare his own Son,^(H) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge^(I) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns?^(J) No one. Christ Jesus who died^(K)—more than that, who was raised to life^(L)—is at the right hand of God^(M) and is also interceding for us.^{(N) 35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?^(O) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?^{(P) 36} As it is written:

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors^(R) through him who loved us.^{(S) 38} For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[b] neither the present nor the future,^(T) nor any powers,^{(U) 39} neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God^(V) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(W)

⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion^(A) until the day of Christ Jesus.^(B)