1 Samuel 27

¹ David thought to himself: »One of these days Saul will kill me. The best thing for me to do is escape to Philistia. Saul will give up looking for me in Israel. Then I will be safe.«

² David and his six hundred men went over at once to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.

³ David and his men and their families lived with Achish at Gath. David brought his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.

⁴ Word soon reached Saul that David fled to Gath. So he stopped hunting for him.

⁵ David said to Achish: »If it is all right with you, let me live in one of the outlying towns. Why should I live in the royal city with you?«

⁶ Achish immediately gave him Ziklag. This is why Ziklag still belongs to the kings of Judah today.

⁷ David lived in Philistine territory for one year and four months.

⁸ David and his men raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. Their territory extends from Telaim to Shur and Egypt.

⁹ David attacked the territory and left no man or woman alive. He also took sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and returned to Achish.

¹⁰ Achish would ask: »Whom did you raid today?« David would answer: »The south country Negev in Judah, or the south country of the Jerahmeelites, or the south country of the Kenites.«

¹¹ He did not bring a single man or woman back to Gath alive. He thought, they could tell Achish what I really did. This was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory.

¹² Achish trusted David and thought: »David’s people must be furious with him. From now on he will have to take orders from me.«