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 except that I 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 shall I escape out of his hand."
And David said in his heart, Now shall I be one day delivered [for death] into the hands of Saul; and there is no good thing for me unless I should escape into the land of the Philistines, and Saul should cease from seeking me through every coast of Israel: so I shall 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.
So David arose, and the six hundred men that were with him, and he went to Anchus, son Ammach, king of Geth.
3 So David lived with Achish, he and his men, along with his men and their families, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow.
And David lived with Anchus, he and his men, each with his family; and David and both his wives, Achinaam, the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
4 Now it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.
And it was told Saul that David had fled to Geth; and he no longer sought after 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?"
And David said to Anchus, If now your servant has found grace in your eyes, let them give me, I pray you, a place in one of the cities in the country, and I will dwell there: for why does your servant dwell with you in a royal city?
6 So he gave him Ziklag that day. (For that reason Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.)
And he gave him Sekelac in that day: therefore Sekelac came into possession of the king of Judea 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.
And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was four months.
8 Now David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshurites, and the Amalekites. And look, the land was inhabited from Telem, until you come to Shur, and on toward Egypt.
And David and his men went up, and made an attack on all the Gesirites and on the Amalekites: and behold, the land was inhabited, (even the land from Gelampsur) by those who come from the fortified [cities] even to the land of Egypt.
9 David struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the cattle, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the clothing; and he returned, and came to Achish.
And he struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive; and they took flocks, and herds, and asses, and camels, and raiment; and they returned and came to Anchus.
10 Achish said, "Against whom have you made a raid today?" David would say, "Against the Negev of Judah," or "Against the Negev of Jerahmeel," or "Against the Negev of the Kenizzites."
And Anchus said to David, On whom have you made an attack today? And David said to Anchus, On the south of Judea, and on the south of Jesmega, and on the south of the Kenezite.
11 And neither man nor woman would he leave alive to be brought to Gath, thinking, "Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, 'This is what David did,'" and this has been his practice all the time he lived in the country of the Philistines.
And I have not saved man or woman alive to bring them to Geth, saying, Lest they carry a report to Geth against us, saying, These things David does. And this was his manner all the days that David lived 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."
So David had the full confidence of Anchus, who said, He is thoroughly disgraced amongst his people in Israel and he shall be my servant for ever.
