1 Samuel 27

¹ David said in his heart, “I shall 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. Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel; so shall I 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; and he sought no more again 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 year and four months.

⁸ David and his men went up, and made raids on the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. ⁹ David struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels, and clothing; and he returned, and came to Achish.

¹⁰ Achish said, “Against whom have you made a raid today?” David said, “Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites.” ¹¹ David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell on us, saying, ‘So David did, and so will be his manner all the while that he lives in the country of the Philistines.’” ¹² Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever.”