27
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 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 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 Saul
was told that
David had fled
to Gath, so
he stopped looking
for him.
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:
therefore Ziklag
belongs to the
kings of Judah
to this day.
7 The
number of the
days that David
lived in the
country of the
Philistines was a
full year and four
months.
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 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 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 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 Achish believed
David, saying, “He
has made his
people Israel utterly
to abhor him.
Therefore he will
be my servant
forever.”