Et ait David in corde suo: Aliquando incidam una die in manus Saul: nonne melius est ut fugiam, et salver in terra Philisthinorum, ut desperet Saul, cessetque me quærere in cunctis finibus Israël? fugiam ergo manus ejus.

The time must come, David thought to himself, when I shall fall into Saul’s hands; were it not better to escape, and take refuge in the country of the Philistines? Then Saul will give up the hope of hunting me down within the borders of Israel, and I shall be safe from his power.

And David said in his heart: I shall one day or other fall into the hands of Saul: is it not better for me to flee, and to be saved in the land of the Philistines, that Saul may despair of me, and cease to seek me in all the coasts of Israel? I will flee then out of his hands.

Et surrexit David, et abiit ipse, et sexcenti viri cum eo, ad Achis filium Maoch regem Geth.

So David removed, and betook himself, with six hundred men at his heels, to Achis, son of Maoch, that was king of Geth;

And David arose and went away, both he and the six hundred men that were with him, to Achis the son of Maoch, king of Geth.

Et habitavit David cum Achis in Geth, ipse et viri ejus: vir et domus ejus: et David, et duæ uxores ejus, Achinoam Jezrahelitis, et Abigail uxor Nabal Carmeli.

there, in Geth, with Achis, he and his men settled down, each with his own household; David with his two wives, Achinoam from Jezrahel, and Abigail that had been wife to Nabal at Carmel.

And David dwelt with Achis at Geth, he and his men: every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

Et nuntiatum est Sauli quod fugisset David in Geth, et non addidit ultra quærere eum.

As for Saul, when he heard that David had taken refuge at Geth, he gave up the pursuit.

And it was told Saul that David was fled to Geth, and he sought no more after him.

Dixit autem David ad Achis: Si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, detur mihi locus in una urbium regionis hujus, ut habitem ibi: cur enim manet servus tuus in civitate regis tecum?

And now David said to Achis, Do me this favour; make me a grant of land in one of the townships here. No need that I, thy servant, should make my dwelling with thee in thy capital city.

And David said to Achis: If I have found favour in thy sight, let a place be given me in one of the cities of this country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

Dedit itaque ei Achis in die illa Siceleg: propter quam causam facta est Siceleg regum Juda usque in diem hanc.

Whereupon Achis granted him Siceleg, and it has belonged to the kings of Juda from that day to this.

Then Achis gave him Siceleg that day: for which reason Siceleg belongeth to the kings of Juda unto this day.

Fuit autem numerus dierum quibus habitavit David in regione Philisthinorum, quatuor mensium.

David’s stay among the Philistines lasted for four months;

And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines, was four months.

Et ascendit David et viri ejus, et agebant prædas de Gessuri, et de Gerzi, et de Amalecitis: hi enim pagi habitabantur in terra antiquitus, euntibus Sur usque ad terram Ægypti.

he would lead his men out, and drive off plunder from Gessuri and Gersi and from the Amalecites; these were settlements belonging to the old inhabitants of the land, which reached as far as Sur, on the borders of Egypt.

And David and his men went up, and pillaged Gessuri, and Gerzi, and the Amalecites: for these were of old the inhabitants of the countries, as men go to Sur, even to the land of Egypt.

Et percutiebat David omnem terram, nec relinquebat viventem virum et mulierem: tollensque oves, et boves, et asinos, et camelos, et vestes, revertebatur, et veniebat ad Achis.

Wherever he went, he ravaged the country-side, leaving neither man nor woman alive; then he would carry off sheep and ox and ass and camel and garments as his spoil, and so return to Achis.

And David wasted all 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 Achis.

Dicebat autem ei Achis: In quem irruisti hodie? Respondebat David: Contra meridiem Judæ, et contra meridiem Jerameel, et contra meridiem Ceni.

Did Achis ask where he had made his foray that day, he would answer, On the south of Juda, or of Jerameel, or of Ceni.

And Achis said to him: Whom hast thou gone against to day? David answered: Against the south of Juda, and against the south of Jerameel, and against the south of Ceni.

Virum et mulierem non vivificabat David, nec adducebat in Geth, dicens: Ne forte loquantur adversum nos: Hæc fecit David: et hoc erat decretum illi omnibus diebus quibus habitavit in regione Philisthinorum.

Neither man nor woman must be taken alive and brought to Geth, for fear they should betray him and his. So David did, of set purpose, all the time he lived in the Philistine country;

And David saved neither man nor woman, neither brought he any of them to Geth, saying: Lest they should speak against us. So did David, and such was his proceeding all the days that he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

Credidit ergo Achis David, dicens: Multa mala operatus est contra populum suum Israël: erit igitur mihi servus sempiternus.

and Achis believed what he said, and thought to himself, This man has brought great hurt on his own people of Israel; now he is bound to my service in perpetuity.

And Achis believed David, saying: He hath done much harm to his people Israel: therefore he shall be my servant for ever.