1
Samuel Chapter 27: 1-12
David Among the Philistines
1 But David
thought to himself, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The
best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up
searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand."
2 So David
and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maoch 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 When Saul was told 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 a place be assigned to
me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the
royal city with you?"
6 So on
that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. 7 David lived in Philistine territory 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 peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) 9 Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman
alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to
Achish.
10 When
Achish asked, "Where did you go raiding today?" David would say, "Against
the Negev of Judah" or "Against the Negev of Jerahmeel" or "Against
the Negev of the Kenites." 11 He did not leave a man or
woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, "They might inform on us and say,
'This is what David did.' " And such was his practice as long as he lived in
Philistine territory. 12 Achish trusted David and said to
himself, "He has become so odious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my
servant forever."
