1 Samuel 27

¹ And David said in his heart, I shall nowDavid distrusts God's protection and therefore flees to the idolaters, who were enemies to God's people.perish one day by the hand of Saul: [there is] nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

² Dauid therefore arose, and he, and the sixe hundreth men that were with him, went vnto Achish the sonne of Maoch King of Gath.

³ And DavidThus God by his providence changes the enemies hearts, and makes them favour his in their need.dwelt 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 And it was tolde Saul that Dauid was fled to Gath: so he sought no more for him.

⁵ And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes,Let your officers appoint me a place.let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

⁶ Then Achish gaue him Ziklag that same day: therefore Ziklag pertaineth vnto the kings of Iudah vnto this day.

⁷ And the time that Dauid dwelt in the countrey of the Philistims, was foure moneths and certaine dayes.

⁸ And David and his men went up, and invaded theThese were the wicked Canaanites, whom God had appointed to be destroyed.Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those [nations were] of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

⁹ And Dauid smote the lande, and left neither man nor woman aliue, and tooke sheepe, & oxen, and asses, and camels, and apparell, and returned and came to Achish.

¹⁰ And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of theA family of the tribe of Judah, (1Ch_2:9).Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.

¹¹ And Dauid saued neither man nor woman aliue, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tel on vs, and say, So did Dauid, and so will be his maner all the while that he dwelleth in the countrey of the Philistims.

¹² And Achish beleeued Dauid, saying, He hath made his people of Israel vtterly to abhorre him: therefore he shalbe my seruant for euer.