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, Now I may yet perish suddenly one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing better for me than that I should escape at once into the land of the Philistines, then Saul will abstain from me, to seek me any more in all the territory of Israel: and so shall I escape out of his hand.
2 So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
And David arose, and he passed over himself with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Ma'och, 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 remained with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, also David with his two wives, Achino'am the Yizre'elitess, and Abigayil, Nabal's wife, the Carmelitess.
4 And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
And when it was told unto Saul that David was fled to Gath, he continued no more to seek for 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 unto Achish, If now I have found grace in thy eyes, let them give me a place in some one of the country-towns, that I may dwell there; for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?
6 That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.
Then gave Achish unto him on that day Ziklag: therefore hath Ziklag pertained unto the kings of Judah until this day.
7 And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.
And the number of the days that David dwelt in the fields of the Philistines was a full year and 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 invaded the Geshurites, and the Gizrites, and the 'Amalekites; for these nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, till thou comest to Shur, and 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 smote the land, and left not alive either man or woman, and took away the flocks, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came 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.”
And Achish said, Whither have ye made an inroad today? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Yerachmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.
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.
And David left not alive either man or woman, to bring [them] to Gath, saying, That they may not tell on us, saying, So hath David done, and so is his custom all the days he hath dwelt in the fields 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.”
And Achish had confidence in David, saying, He hath surely spoiled his odor among his people, among Israel; and he will become unto me a servant for ever.
