1 Samuel · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
1 Samuel 27 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 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 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.
1 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 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that [were] with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
2 David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3 And 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.
3 David lived 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.
4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
4 Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped looking for him.
5 ¶ And 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?
5 David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.
7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
7 The number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
8 ¶ And 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.
8 David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land who were of old, on the way to Shur, even to the land of Egypt.
9 And 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.
9 David struck the land, and saved no man or woman alive, and took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned, and came to Achish.
10 And 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.
10 Achish said, “Against whom have you made a raid today?” David said, “Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites.”
11 And 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.
11 David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell about us, saying, ‘David did this, and this has been his way all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’”
12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
12 Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he will be my servant forever.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Achish
King of Gath to whom David fled twice, first feigning madness and later living in his territory with Ziklag as his town, and who trusted David until the Philistine commanders sent…
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 21:10; 1 Samuel 21:12; 1 Samuel 27:2
Ahinoam
A woman of Jezreel whom David married; she went with him to Gath, was captured by the Amalekites at Ziklag and rescued, and bore his firstborn Amnon in Hebron.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 25:43; 1 Samuel 27:3; 1 Samuel 30:5
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Maoch
Named as the father of Achish, the king of Gath.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 27:2
Cross references (12)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Isaiah 40:27–31; Isaiah 51:12; 1 Samuel 23:17; 1 Samuel 28:1–2; 1 Samuel 16:13
- 2 1 Samuel 25:13; 1 Samuel 21:10; 1 Kings 2:39–40; 1 Samuel 30:8
- 3 1 Samuel 25:42–43; 1 Samuel 30:5; 1 Samuel 25:3; 1 Samuel 25:18–35; 1 Samuel 30:3
- 4 1 Samuel 26:21
- 5 Genesis 46:34; 2 Corinthians 6:17
- 6 Nehemiah 11:28; Joshua 15:31; 1 Samuel 19:5; 2 Samuel 1:1; 1 Samuel 30:1
- 7 1 Samuel 29:3
- 8 1 Samuel 15:7–8; Joshua 13:2; Joshua 13:13; Judges 1:29; Joshua 16:10
- 9 1 Samuel 15:3; 1 Samuel 15:7; Genesis 25:18; Deuteronomy 25:17–19; Joshua 6:21
- 10 Judges 1:16; 1 Chronicles 2:25; 1 Chronicles 2:9; Judges 4:11; 1 Samuel 30:29
- 11 Proverbs 29:25; Proverbs 12:19; 1 Samuel 22:22
- 12 Genesis 34:30; 1 Samuel 13:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences