1
But David thought to himself, "Saul will catch me someday. The best thing I can do is escape to the land of the Philistines. Then he will give up looking for me in Israel, and I can get away from him."
2
So David and his six hundred men left Israel and went to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3
David, his men, and their families made their home in Gath with Achish. David had his two wives with him -- Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
4
When Saul heard that David had run away to Gath, he stopped looking for him.
5
Then David said to Achish, "If you are pleased with me, give me a place in one of the country towns where I can live. I don't need to live in the royal city with you."
6
That day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag, and Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.
7
David lived in the Philistine land a year and four months.
8
David and his men raided the people of Geshur, Girzi, and Amalek. (These people had lived for a long time in the land that reached to Shur and Egypt.)
9
When David fought them, he killed all the men and women and took their sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.