David among the Philistines
1 David said to himself, “One of these days Saul will kill me. The best thing for me to do is to escape to Philistia. Then Saul will give up looking for me in Israel, and I will be safe.” 2 So David and his six hundred men went over at once to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 David and his men settled there in Gath with their families. David had his two wives with him, Ahinoam from Jezreel, and Abigail, Nabal's widow, from Carmel. 4 When Saul heard that David had fled to Gath, he gave up trying to find him.
5 David said to Achish, “If you are my friend, let me have a small town to live in. There is no need, sir, for me to live with you in the capital city.” 6 So Achish gave him the town of Ziklag, and for this reason Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. 7 David lived in Philistia for sixteen months.
8 During that time David and his men would attack the people of Geshur, Girzi, and Amalek, who had been living in the region a very long time. He would raid their land as far as Shur, all the way down to Egypt, 9 killing all the men and women and taking the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and even the clothes. Then he would come back to Achish, 10 who would ask him, “Where did you go on a raid this time?” and David would tell him that he had gone to the southern part of Judah or to the territory of the clan of Jerahmeel or to the territory where the Kenites lived. 11 David would kill everyone, men and women, so that no one could go back to Gath and report what he and his men had really done. This is what David did the whole time he lived in Philistia. 12 But Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He is hated so much by his own people the Israelites that he will have to serve me all his life.”
David mokati kOvafilisti
1 David we rihungirira nai mu ye omuini: “Rimwe romayuva nga Saul me ndji zepa. Otjiṋa otjisemba ku ami okongwi okuhenena kehi rOvafilisti. Nu Saul ma isa okundjipaha aruhe mehi rOvaisrael nami me kara nokuhinatjipo.” 2 David otja sekama, a i puna ovarumendu ve omasere hamboumwe ku Akis, omuzandu wa Maok, ombara ya Gat, avehe puna omaṱunḓu wawo. 3 David wa ri puna ovakazendu ve aveyevari, Ahinoam wa Jesreel, na Abigail, omuhepundu wa Nabal, Omukarmel. 4 Saul tja zuva ombuze yokutja David wa taurire kOgat, arire tja isa okumutjera rukwao.
5 David wa tja ku Akis: “Tji mba munu ondjingonekero move, ndji esa mbi ture mokarongo okaṱiṱi. Kahepero, muhona, omukarere woye okutura puna ove motjihuro tjouhona.” 6 Akis otje mu pa otjihuro Siklag meyuva tjingero ndo. Siklag opu tja za okurira otjihuro tjozombara za Juda nga ku ndinondi. 7 Oruveze David ndwa kara mehi rOvafilisti, rwa ri ombura imwe nomieze vine.
8 David novarumendu ve va rwisa Ovagesuri nOvageseri nOvaamalek, mba turire mehi ndo oruveze orure tjinene okuza kOtelem okuhungama Sur nga kehi ra Engipte. 9 David tja rwisa ehi ndi, ka syere po omurumendu poo omukazendu nomuinyo, nu wa huura ozonyanda nozongombe nousino nozongamero nozombanda. Nu David tjaa kotoka ku Akis, 10 Akis aruhe ee mu pura a tja “Ndinondi mwa kahuurire pi?” Nu David ee mu ziri a tja: “Omehi rokeyuva kokumuho kwa Juda poo omehi rokeyuva kokumuho rOvajerakmeel poo omehi rokeyuva kokumuho rOvakeni.” 11 Nungwari kapa ri omurumendu poo omukazendu ngwa hupisiwa i David okumueta kOgat, orondu tje ripura nai: “Tjapo ngaave tu horora kutja David wa tjiti nai na nai.” Imbwi ombwa ri omuhingo David mbuya tjiti oruveze aruhe ndwa turire mehi rOvafilisti. 12 Akis wa kara nongamburiro mu David na tja: “Eye we ritondisa omuini tjinene nai kotjiwaṋa tje Israel, nu ma karerere omukarere wandje nga aruhe.”
