1
Ndipo Daudi aliposema moyoni mwake, Siku moja, basi, mimi nitaangamia kwa mkono wa Sauli; hakuna jema zaidi kwangu kuliko kukimbia mpaka nchi ya Wafilisti; naye Sauli atakata tamaa kwa habari yangu, asinitafute tena mipakani mwote mwa Israeli; hivyo nitaokoka katika mikono yake.
David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
2
Basi Daudi akaondoka, yeye na hao watu mia sita aliokuwa nao, akamvukia Akishi, mwana wa Maoki, mfalme wa Gathi.
So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
3
Daudi akakaa huko Gathi pamoja na Akishi, yeye na watu wake, kila mtu na watu wa nyumbani mwake; Daudi naye alikuwa na wakeze wawili, Ahinoamu wa Yezreeli, na Abigaili wa Karmeli, aliyekuwa mkewe Nabali.
David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
4
Naye Sauli akaambiwa ya kwamba Daudi amekimbia mpaka Gathi; wala hakumtafuta tena.
And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
5
Daudi akamwambia Akishi, Sasa kama nimeona kibali machoni pako na nipewe mahali katika miji hii mmojawapo mashambani, nipate kukaa huko; mbona mtumwa wako akae katika mji wa kifalme pamoja na wewe?
Then David 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?”
6
Ndipo Akishi akampa Siklagi siku ile; kwa sababu hiyo huo mji wa Siklagi ni mali ya wafalme wa Yuda hata hivi leo.
That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.
7
Na hesabu ya siku alizokaa Daudi katika nchi ya Wafilisti ilikuwa mwaka mzima na miezi minne.
And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.
8
Naye Daudi na watu wake walikuwa wakikwea na kuwashambulia Wageshuri, na Wagirizi, na Waamaleki waliokuwa wenyeji wa nchi hiyo, tangu Telemu, hapo uendapo Shuri, hata mpaka nchi ya Misri.
Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)
9
Tena Daudi akaipiga nchi hiyo, asimhifadhi hai mume wala mke, akateka nyara kondoo, na ng'ombe, na punda, na ngamia na mavazi; kisha akarejea na kufika kwa Akishi.
Whenever David 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,
10
Naye Akishi humwuliza, Je! Mmeshambulia upande gani leo? Na Daudi husema, Juu ya Negebu ya Yuda, au, juu ya Negebu ya Wayerameeli, au, juu ya Negebu ya Wakeni.
who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.”
11
Tena Daudi hakumhifadhi hai mume wala mke, ili kuwaleta Gathi maana alisema, Wasituchongee kusema, Ndivyo alivyofanya Daudi, tena ndivyo ilivyokuwa desturi yake wakati wote alipokaa katika nchi ya Wafilisti.
David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.
12
Hivyo Akishi akamsadiki Daudi, akasema, Amewachukiza kabisa hao watu wake Israeli; kwa hiyo atakuwa mtumishi wangu hata milele.
So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”