1 Samuel 27

1 David loh a lungbuei ah, “Hnin at atah Saul kut neh ka khoengvoep uh pawn ni. Kai ham a then pawt lakah tah Philisti kho la ka poeng ka hal mai eh. Te daengah ni Israel khorhi khui boeih atah kai tlap ham akhaw Saul loh kai taeng lamkah vi uh vetih a kut te ka poeng ka hal eh,” a ti.

But David said to himself, “One of these days Saul is going to get me. I think I'd better run away to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up looking for me all over Israel and he won't catch me.”

2 Te phoeiah David te thoo tih, a taengkah hlang ya rhuk neh Gath manghai Maoch capa Akhish te a paan.

So David and the six hundred men with him set off, crossed the border, and went to Achish, son of Maoch, the king of Gath.

3 David amah neh a hlang rhoek khaw, a hlang kah a imkhui khaw, David neh a yuu rhoi Jezreel nu Ahinoam, Karmel Nabal yuu Abigal khaw, Gath kah Akhish taengah kho a sak.

David and his men settled down with Achish in Gath. All the men had their families with them, and David had his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel, Nabal's widow.

4 Gath la David a yong te Saul taengla a puen pah ngawn dae David tlap koep ham te khoep rhoe khoep voel pawh.

When Saul found out that David had run away to Gath, he didn't go on looking for him.

5 Te vaengah David loh Akhish taengah, “Na mikhmuh ah mikdaithen ni ka dang atah, khohmuen kah khopuei pakhat ah kai he hmuen m'pae mai lamtah pahoi ka om mai eh. Ram kah khopuei khuiah na sal loh namah taengah kho a sak te ba ham lae?” a ti nah.

David said to Achish, “Please do me a favor: assign me somewhere in one of the towns in the countryside so I can live there. I, your servant, don't really deserve to live in the royal city with you.”

6 Tekah khohnin ah anih te Akhish loh Ziklag kho te a paek. Te dongah Ziklag he tihnin hil Judah manghai rhoek kah la om.

Achish gave him Ziklag right away, and the town still belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.

7 David loh Philisti khohmuen ah kho a sak te a khohnin khaw amah tarhing atah kum at neh hla li lo coeng.

David lived in the country of the Philistines for a year and four months.

8 Te vaengah David neh a hlang rhoek loh cet uh tih Geshuri neh Gezari te a cuuk thil uh. Tedae te khohmuen kah khosa rhoek Gezari neh Amalek rhoek tah khosuen lamloh Shur neh Egypt kho duela na paan tangtae ni.

During that time David and his men were raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. These people had lived in the land as far as Shur and Egypt from ancient times.

9 Khohmuen te David loh a ngawn tih huta khaw tongpa khaw hing sak pawh. Tedae boiva, saelhung, laak, kalauk neh himbai te a loh tih a mael daengah Akhish te a paan.

When David attacked a place, he did not leave anybody alive. He took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would go back to Achish.

10 Te vaengah Akhish loh, “Tihnin atah na muk mahpawt a?” a ti nah hatah David loh, “Judah tuithim neh Jerahmeli tuithim, Keni tuithim a?” a ti nah.

When Achish asked him, “Where have you been raiding today?” David would reply, “In the desert of Judah,” or “the desert of Jerahmeel,” or “the desert of the Kenites.”

11 Tedae David kah a saii neh a thui soah, “Kaimih kawng he Gath la a khuen vetih puen ve,” a ti dongah David loh huta khaw tongpa khaw hlun pawh. Tekah khosing nen ni Philisti kho kah a om tue khuiah kho a sak.

David didn't leave anybody alive that could come to Gath because he thought, “They might tell on us and say, ‘David did this.’” This is what he did all the time he lived in the country of the Philistines.

12 Te vaengah Akhish loh David te a tangnah tih, “A pilnam Israel taengah a bo rhim la rhim coeng tih kamah taengah kumhal sal la om saeh,” a ti.

Achish trusted David, and said to himself, “He's made himself so offensive to his people the Israelites that he'll have to serve me forever.”