1 Samuel 27

Meaning First Bible · 1 Samuel · chapter 27 of 31

1Beloved, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Asked-For. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Asked-For will stop searching for me all over Strives-with-God, and I will slip out of his hand.”

2So Beloved set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Wine-Press.

3Beloved and his men settled in Wine-Press with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and Beloved had his two wives: My-Brother-Is-Pleasant God-Sows-Folk and My-Father-Is-Joy of Fruitful-Field-One, the widow of Fool.

4And when Asked-For learned that Beloved had fled to Wine-Press, he no longer searched for him.

5Then Beloved said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

6That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Praised.

7And the time that Beloved lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.

8Now Beloved and his men went up and raided the Bridge-People, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Wall and Two-Straits.)

9Whenever Beloved attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would return to Achish,

10who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And Beloved would reply, “South-Country of Praised,” or “South-Country of May-God-Have-Compassion-One,” or “South-Country of the Smith-Ones.”

11Beloved did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Wine-Press, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what Beloved did.’” And this was Beloved’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.

12So Achish trusted Beloved, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Strives-with-God, he will be my servant forever.”