1 Samuel 27

1 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.”

And David said in his heart: “At some time, I will one day fall into the hands of Saul. Is it not better if I flee, and be saved in the land of the Philistines, so that Saul may despair and cease to seek me in all the parts of Israel? Therefore, I will flee away from his hands.”

2 So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.

And David rose up and went away, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish, the son of Maoch, the king of Gath.

3 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.

And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men: each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

4 And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

And it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath. And so, he did not continue to seek him.

5 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?”

And David said to Achish: “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given to me in one of the cities of this region, so that I may live there. For why should your servant stay in the city of the king with you?”

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

And so, Achish gave Ziklag to him on that day. And for this reason, Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah, even to this day.

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

Now the number of days that David lived in the region of the Philistines was four months.

8 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.)

And David and his men went up and took plunder from Geshuri, and from Girzi, and from the Amalekites. For in the land long ago, these were the inhabitants of the area, going from Shur as far as the land of Egypt.

9 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,

And David struck the entire land. Neither did he leave alive man or woman. And he took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the garments. And he returned and went to Achish.

10 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.”

Then Achish said to him, “Whom did you go out against today?” And David responded, “Against the south of Judah, and against the south of Jerahmeel, and against the south of Keni.”

11 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.

Neither man nor woman was left alive by David. Neither did he lead back any of them to Gath, saying, “Lest perhaps they may speak against us.” David did these things. And this was his decision during all the days that he lived in the region of the Philistines.

12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”

Therefore, Achish trusted David, saying: “He has worked much harm against his people Israel. And so, he will be a servant to me forever.”