1 Samuel 27

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 'One of these days,' David thought, 'I shal perish at the hand of Saul. The best thing that I can do is toget away into the country of the Philistines; then Saul will give up tracking me through the length and breadth ofIsrael and I shal be safe from him.'	1 And David said in his heart: I shall gone day or other fall into the hands of Saul: is it not better for me to flee, and to be saved in the land of the Philistines, that Saul may despair of me, and cease to seek me in all the coasts of Israel? I will flee then out of his hands.
2 So David set off and went over, he and his six hundred men, to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.	2 And David arose and went away, both he and the six hundred men that were with him, to Achis the son of Maoch, king of Geth.
3 He settled at Gath with Achish, he and his men, each with his family and David with his two wives,Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel.	3 And David dwelt with Achis at Geth, he and his men: every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
4 When news reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, he stopped searching for him.	4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Geth, and he sought no more after him.
5 David said to Achish, 'If I have won your favour, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns,where I can live. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?'	5 And David said to Achis: If I have found favour in thy sight, let a place be given me in one of the cities of this country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?
6 That very day Achish gave him Ziklag; and this is why Ziklag has been the property of the kings ofJudah to the present day.	6 Then Achis gave him Siceleg that day: for which reason Siceleg belongeth to the kings of Juda unto this day.
7 The time that David stayed in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.	7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines, was four months.
8 David and his men went out on raids against the Geshurites, Girzites and Amalekites, for these arethe tribes inhabiting the region which, from Telam, goes in the direction of Shur, as far as Egypt.	8 And David and his men went up, and pillaged Gessuri, and Gerzi, and the Amalecites: for these were of old the inhabitants of the countries, as men go to Sur, even to the land of Egypt.
9 David laid the countryside waste and left neither man nor woman alive; he carried off the sheep andcattle, the donkeys, camels and clothing, and then came back again to Achish.	9 And David wasted all 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 Achis.
10 Achish would ask, 'Where did you go raiding today?' David would reply, 'Against the Negeb ofJudah,' or 'the Negeb of Jerahmeel,' or 'the Negeb of the Kenites.'	10 And Achis said to him: Whom hast thou gone against to day? David answered: Against the south of Juda, and against the south of Jerameel, and against the south of Ceni.
11 David spared neither man nor woman to bring back alive to Gath, 'in case', as he thought, 'theyinform on us and say, "David did such and such." ' This was the way David conducted his raids al the time hestayed in Philistine territory.	11 And David saved neither man nor woman, neither brought he any of them to Geth, saying: Lest they should speak against us. So did David, and such was his proceeding all the days that he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
12 Achish trusted David. 'He has made himself detested by his own people Israel,' he thought, 'and sowil be my servant for ever.'	12 And Achis believed David, saying: He hath done much harm to his people Israel: therefore he shall be my servant for ever.