1And 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 . 2And David arose , and passed over , he and the six hundred men that were with him , unto Achish the son of Maoch , king of Gath .
David's Acceptance in Philistia
3And 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. 4And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath : and he sought no more again for him . 5And David said unto Achish, If now I have found favor in thine eyes , let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country , that I may dwell there : for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee ?
David's Deception and Raids
6Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day : wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day . 7And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months .
The Consequences of David's Choices
8And David and his men went up , and made a raid upon the Geshurites , and the Girzites, and the Amalekites ; for those nations were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old , as thou goest to Shur , even unto the land of Egypt . 9And David smote the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive , and took away the sheep , and the oxen , and the asses , and the camels , and the apparel; and he returned , and came to Achish. 10And Achish said, Against whom have ye made a raid to-day? And David said, Against the South of Judah , and against the South of the Jerahmeelites , and against the South of the Kenites . 11And 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 hath been his manner all the while he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines . 12And Achish believed David , saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him ; therefore he shall be my servant for ever .