Achish

10And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

That day David ran away from Saul. He went to Achish, the king of the city of Gath.

11And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of his land? People danced and sang about him. They sang, 'Saul has killed thousands, and David ten thousands.'"

12And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

David kept thinking about what they said. He became very afraid of Achish, the king of Gath.

13And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

So he acted strangely in front of them. He pretended to be out of his mind. He scratched marks on the doors of the gate. He let his spit run down his beard.

14Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, this man is out of his mind. So why did you bring him to me?"

15Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

"Do I need more men like this? You brought him here to act wild in front of me. Should a man like this come into my house?"

1And 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.

David thought to himself, "Someday Saul will kill me. The best thing I can do is run away to the land of the Philistines. The Philistines were Israel's enemies. Then Saul will give up looking for me in Israel. That way I will get away from him."

2And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

So David left. He took the six hundred men who were with him. They went to Achish, the son of Maoch, who was king of the city of Gath.

3And 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.

David and his men lived in Gath with Achish. Each man brought his family with him. David brought his two wives. They were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel, who had been married to Nabal.

4And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

Someone told Saul that David had run away to Gath. So Saul stopped looking for him.

5And 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?

David said to Achish, "If you are pleased with me, please do this. Give me a place in one of the smaller towns to live. Why should I live here in the king's city with you?"

6Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

That day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag. That is why Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.

7And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

David lived in the land of the Philistines for one year and four months.

8And 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.

David and his men went out and attacked the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. Those peoples had lived in that land for a very long time. Their land stretched toward Shur and all the way to Egypt.

9And 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.

When David attacked a place, he left no man or woman alive. He took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, and the camels. He took their clothes too. Then he went back to Achish.

10And 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.

Achish would ask, "Where did you raid today?" David would say, "The dry south country of Judah," or "the south country of the Jerahmeelites," or "the south country of the Kenites."

11And 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.

David left no man or woman alive to be taken back to Gath. He said, "If I did, they might tell on us. They would say, 'This is what David did.'" David kept doing this the whole time he lived among the Philistines.

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

Achish trusted David. He thought, "David's own people, Israel, must hate him now. So he will be my servant forever."

1And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.

In those days the Philistines gathered their armies to fight Israel. Achish said to David, "You know for sure that you and your men must come to war with me."

2And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.

David said, "Then you will find out what I can do." Achish said, "Good. I will make you my bodyguard for life."

1Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

The Philistines brought all their soldiers together at a place called Aphek. The Israelites set up camp by the spring of water at Jezreel.

2And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.

The Philistine leaders marched out with their groups of soldiers. David and his men marched at the back with Achish, a Philistine king.

3Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?

The Philistine commanders asked, "Why are these Hebrews here?" Achish said, "This is David. He used to serve Saul, the king of Israel. He has been with me for a long time now, even years. Since the day he came to me, he has done nothing wrong."

4And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?

The Philistine commanders were angry with Achish. They said, "Send that man back. Let him go to the town you gave him. He must not go into battle with us. In the fight he might turn against us. What better way to please his old master than by cutting off our heads?

5Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

This is the same David. People sang about him in their dances. They sang, 'Saul killed thousands, but David killed tens of thousands.'"

6Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.

So Achish called David and said, "As surely as the LORD lives, you have been honest with me. I would be glad to have you march out and back with my army. Since the day you came to me, I have found nothing bad in you. But the other leaders do not trust you.

7Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.

So go back now, and go in peace. Do not do anything to upset the Philistine leaders."

8And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

David said to Achish, "But what have I done wrong? What have you found against me since the day I came to you? Why can't I go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?"

9And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

Achish answered, "I know you are good in my eyes, like an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders have said you must not go into battle with us.

10Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master’s servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.

So get up early tomorrow morning. Take your master's servants who came with you. Leave as soon as it is light."

11So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

So David and his men got up early to leave. They went back to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines marched up to Jezreel.

39And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.

Three years later, two of Shimei's servants ran away. They went to Achish son of Maacah, the king of Gath. Someone told Shimei, "Your servants are in Gath."

40And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

So Shimei put a saddle on his donkey and rode to Achish in Gath. He looked for his servants and brought them back.