1 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 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. 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.
3 David lived 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 It was told Saul that David was fled to
Gath: and he sought no more again for 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?
6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: why
Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah 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.
8 David and his men went up, and made a raid
on the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those
nations were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go
to Shur, 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 oxen, and the
donkeys, and the camels, and the clothing; and he returned, and came to
Achish. 10
Achish said, Against whom have you made a raid today? David said,
Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites,
and against the South of the Kenites.
11 David saved neither man nor woman alive,
to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So
did David, and so has been his manner all the while he has 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.
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