David and the Philistines

1And David said in his heart, “Now I will be swept away one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing for me better than that I diligently escape to the land of the Philistines. And Saul will despair of me to seek me anymore in all the border of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”

2And David arose and passed over—he and the six hundred men who were with him—to Achish son of Maoch† king of Gath. 3And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man and his household, and David and his two wives—Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelitess. 4And it was declared to Saul that David had fled to Gath. And he sought him no more.

5And David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give to me a place in one of the cities of the field, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”

6And Achish gave to him that day Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7And the number of the days that David dwelt in the field of the Philistines was a year and four months.

8And David and his men went up and raided against the Geshurite, and the Girzite, and the Amalekite (for those were those dwelling in the land from of old) in your going to Shur, and as far as the land of Egypt. 9And whenever David struck the land, he left alive not a man or a woman, and he took the sheep, and the oxen, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the apparel.

And he returned and came to Achish. 10And Achish would say, “Where have you⁺ made a raid today?”

And David would say, “Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelite, and against the south of the Kenite.”

11And man and woman David would not save alive to be brought to Gath, saying, “Lest they declare it against us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’” And thus was his custom all the days that he dwelt in the field of the Philistines.

12And Achish believed David, saying, “He has made himself an utter stench among his people Israel, and he will be my servant forever.”