1 Then David said 1Lit in his heartto himself, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. A1 Sam 26:19There is nothing better for me than 2Lit that I should surely escapeto escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.” 2 So David arose and crossed over, he and A1 Sam 25:13the six hundred men who were with him, to B1 Sam 21:10; 1 Kin 2:39Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, A1 Sam 30:3; 2 Sam 2:3each with his household, even David with B1 Sam 25:42, 43his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s 1Lit wifewidow. 4 Now it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.

5 Then David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” 6 So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore AJosh 15:31; 19:5; Neh 11:28Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 The number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was A1 Sam 29:3a year and four months.

8 Now David and his men went up and raided AJosh 13:2, 13the Geshurites and the Girzites and BEx 17:8; 1 Sam 15:7, 8the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to CEx 15:22Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. 9 David 1Lit smoteattacked the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he A1 Sam 15:3; Job 1:3took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. 10 Now Achish said, “Where have you A1 Sam 23:27made a raid today?” And David said, “Against the 1I.e. South countryNegev of Judah and against the 1I.e. South countryNegev of B1 Sam 30:29; 1 Chr 2:9, 25the Jerahmeelites and against the 1I.e. South countryNegev of CJudg 1:16; 4:11the Kenites.” 11 David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, “Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, ‘So has David done and so has been his practice all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’ ” 12 So Achish believed David, saying, “He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever.”