1 Samuel 27 - Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

David Flees to Ziklag

27 David said to himself, “One of these days I’ll be swept away by Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines.(A) Then Saul will give up searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I’ll escape from him.” 2 So David set out with his six hundred men(B) and went over to Achish son of Maoch,(C) the king of Gath. 3 David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath. Each man had his family with him,(D) and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel,(E) Nabal’s widow. 4 When it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

5 Now David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” 6 That day Achish gave Ziklag(F) to him, and it still belongs to the kings of Judah today. 7 The length of time that David stayed in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.(G)

8 David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites,(H) the Girzites,[a] and the Amalekites.(I) From ancient times they had been the inhabitants of the region through Shur(J) as far as the land of Egypt. 9 Whenever David attacked the land, he did not leave a single person alive, either man or woman, but he took flocks, herds, donkeys, camels, and clothing.(K) Then he came back to Achish, 10 who inquired, “Where did you raid today?” [b](L)

David replied, “The south country of Judah,” “The south country of the Jerahmeelites,”(M) or “The south country of the Kenites.”(N)

11 David did not let a man or woman live to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Or they will inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” This was David’s custom during the whole time he stayed in the Philistine territory. 12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself repulsive to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”

Footnotes

  1. 27:8 Alt Hb tradition reads Gezerites
  2. 27:10 Some Hb mss, Syr, Tg; LXX, Vg, DSS read “Against whom did you raid today?”

Cross references

  1. 27:1 : 1Sm 26:19
  2. 27:2 : 1Sm 25:13
  3. 27:2 : 1Sm 2:10; 1Kg 2:39
  4. 27:3 : 1Sm 30:3; 2Sm 2:3
  5. 27:3 : 1Sm 25:42–44
  6. 27:6 : Jos 15:31; 19:5; Neh 11:28
  7. 27:7 : 1Sm 29:1–11
  8. 27:8 : Jos 13:2,13
  9. 27:8 : Ex 17:8; 1Sm 15:7–8
  10. 27:8 : Ex 15:22
  11. 27:9 : 1Sm 15:3; Jb 1:3
  12. 27:10 : 1Sm 23:27
  13. 27:10 : 1Sm 30:29; 1Ch 2:9,25
  14. 27:10 : Jdg 1:16; 4:11

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27 And David saith unto his heart, `Now am I consumed one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing for me better than that I diligently escape unto the land of the Philistines, and Saul hath been despairing of me -- of seeking me any more in all the border of Israel, and I have escaped out of his h...
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1 Samuel 27 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

27 And David said in his heart, Sometime I shall fall in one day in the hand of Saul (One day I shall fall by Saul’s hand); whether it is not better, that I flee, and be saved in the land of (the) Philistines, (so) that Saul despair, and cease to seek me in all the ends of Israel; therefore flee we ...
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1 Samuel 27 - World English Bible (WEB)

27 David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So I will escape out of his hand.” 2 David arose, and...
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1 Samuel 27 - The Voice (VOICE)

27 David was convinced that someday Saul would succeed—that whatever he might have said, he would track David down to kill him. So David decided his safest choice would be to escape to Philistia, because Saul could not pursue him outside Israel and he would be safe. 2 So David with his 600 men went...
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1 Samuel 27 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

David Settles in Ziklag27 Then David said in his heart, “One day I’ll be swept away by the hand of Saul. There’s nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me in all the territories of Israel, so I’ll escape from his hand.” ...
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1 Samuel 27 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

David Serves King Achish of Gath27 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 escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape o...
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1 Samuel 27 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

David Serves King Achish of Gath27 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 escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape o...
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1 Samuel 27 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

David Serves King Achish of Gath27 David said in his heart, ‘I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand....
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1 Samuel 27 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

David Serves King Achish of Gath27 David said in his heart, “I shall certainly perish one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his...
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1 Samuel 27 - New Living Translation (NLT)

David among the Philistines27 But David kept thinking to himself, “Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me in Israelite territory, and I will finally be safe.” 2 So David took his 600 men and went over and joined Achis...
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David with the Philistines27 David said to himself, “Some day Saul will kill me. There is nothing better for me than to run to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will become tired of looking for me any more in the land of Israel. And I will get away from him.” 2 So David got up and crossed over...
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1 Samuel 27 - New King James Version (NKJV)

David Allied with the Philistines27 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 esc...
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1 Samuel 27 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

David among the Philistines27 But David thought to himself, ‘One of these days I shall 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 t...
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David Among the Philistines27 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 th...
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David Aligns Himself with the Philistines27 David thought to himself,[a] “One of these days I’m going to be swept away by the hand of Saul! There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me through all the territory of Israel and...
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