Si David Kasama ng mga Filisteo
1Nasabi ni David sa kanyang sarili, “Darating ang panahon na papatayin ako ni Saul. Mabuti pang tumakas ako papunta sa lupain ng mga Filisteo para tumigil na siya sa paghahanap sa akin sa Israel at makaligtas ako sa kanya.” 2Kaya pumunta si David at ang 600 niyang tauhan kay Haring Akish ng Gat, na anak ni Maok. 3Doon sila tumira sa Gat sa pangangalaga ni Akish, kasama ang kani-kanilang pamilya. Dinala ni David ang dalawa niyang asawa na si Ahinoam na taga-Jezreel at si Abigail na taga-Carmel, na biyuda ni Nabal. 4Nang mabalitaan ni Saul na tumakas si David at pumunta sa Gat, hindi na niya ito hinanap.
5Isang araw, sinabi ni David kay Akish, “Kung naging mabuti po ako sa inyong paningin, maaari po bang sa isang bayan sa ibang lalawigan kami tumira? Hindi po kasi kami nararapat tumira rito sa lungsod na tinitirhan ninyo bilang hari.” 6Kaya nang araw na iyon, ibinigay sa kanya ni Akish ang lugar ng Ziklag. Kaya hanggang ngayon sakop ito ng mga hari ng Juda. 7Tumira si David sa teritoryo ng mga Filisteo sa loob ng isang taon at apat na buwan.
8Nang panahong iyon, sinalakay ni David at ng mga tauhan niya ang mga Geshureo, Gizrita at mga Amalekita. Mula pa noong una, ang mga taong itoʼy nakatira na sa lugar na malapit sa Shur papuntang Egipto. 9Kapag sumasalakay sila David, pinapatay nila ang lahat ng lalaki at babae, at kinukuha ang mga tupa, baka, asno, kamelyo at pati na rin ang mga damit. Pagkatapos, bumabalik sila kay Akish. 10Kapag itinatanong ni Akish kung saan sila sumalakay nang araw na iyon, sinasabi nilang sinalakay nila ang Negev sa Juda, o sa bahagi ng Negev na tinitirhan ng mga Jerameelita o sa bahagi ng Negev na tinitirhan ng mga Keneo. 11Pinapatay nina David ang lahat ng lalaki at babae para walang makarating sa Gat at sabihin kung ano talaga ang ginawa nila. Ito ang madalas niyang ginagawa habang naroon siya sa teritoryo ng mga Filisteo. 12Pinagkakatiwalaan ni Akish si David kaya nasabi niya sa kanyang sarili, “Natitiyak kong kinamumuhian na si David ng mga kapwa niya Israelita kaya habang buhay na siyang maglilingkod sa akin.”
David Among the Philistines
1David thought, “Some day Saul will destroy me. So the best thing I can do is escape. I’ll go to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop looking for me everywhere in Israel. His hand won’t be able to reach me.”
2So David and his 600 men left Israel. They went to Achish, the king of Gath. He was the son of Maok. 3David and his men made their homes in Gath near Achish. Each of David’s men had his family with him. David had his two wives with him. They were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel. Abigail was Nabal’s widow. 4Saul was told that David had run away to Gath. So he didn’t look for David anymore.
5David said to Achish, “If you are pleased with me, give me a place in one of your country towns. I can live there. I don’t really need to live near you in the royal city.”
6So on that day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag. It has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since that time. 7David lived in Philistine territory for a year and four months.
8Sometimes David and his men would go up and attack the Geshurites. At other times they would attack the Girzites or the Amalekites. All those people had lived in the land that reached all the way to Shur and Egypt. They had been there for a long time. 9When David would attack an area, he wouldn’t leave a man or woman alive. But he would take their sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels and clothes. Then he would return to Achish.
10Achish would ask, “Who did you attack today?” David would answer, “The people who live in the Negev Desert of Judah.” Or he would answer, “The people in the Negev Desert of Jerahmeel.” Or he would answer, “The people in the Negev Desert of the Kenites.” 11David wouldn’t leave a man or woman alive to be brought back to Gath. He thought, “They might tell on us. They might tell Achish who we really attacked.” That’s what David did as long as he lived in Philistine territory. 12Achish trusted David. He thought, “David’s own people, the Israelites, can’t stand him anymore. So he’ll be my servant for life.”
