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.”

2 So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, 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.

4 And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched 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?”

6 That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.

7 And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a 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.)

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,

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.”

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.

12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”

1 ¶ And David said in his heart, I shall now 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 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that [were] with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3 And David 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 told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, 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 gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

8 ¶ And David and his men went up, and invaded the 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 David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, 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 the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.

11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring [tidings] to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so [will be] his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

1 And David said in his heart, I shall fall into the hand of Saul in those days: nothing is better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines, that Saul should desist from seeking me again throughout all the coasts of Israel; and I shall escape out of his hand.

2 And he arose, and went over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, unto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3 So David dwelt at Achish in Gath with his men, every man with his household; and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, the wife of Nabal.

4 And when it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath, he sought him no more.

5 And David said unto Achish, If I have found grace in thine eyes, let me have a place in the cities of one of the country, that I may dwell therein: why should thy servant dwell with thee in the royal city?

6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag of that day. Therefore Ziklag is the king of Judah unto this day.

7 And the time that David dwelt in the land of the Philistines was one year and four months.

8 And David went up, he and his men, and fell into the land of the Geshurites, and the Gittites, and the Amalekites: for these were the inhabitants of that land of old, when they came unto Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

9 And when David had smitten the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, and took sheep, and oxen, and asses, and camels, and raiment; and returned, and came to Achish.

10 And when Achish said, Are ye not invaded this day? then said David, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.

11 And David suffered neither man nor woman to come alive to Gath, and thought that they would speak and gossip against us. So David did, and it was his way all the days that he dwelt in the land of the Philistines.

12 Therefore Achish believed David, saying, He hath made himself vile in the sight of his people Israel: therefore shall he be my servant for ever.