1
David thought to himself, "Sooner or later, Saul's going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to Philistine country. Saul will count me a lost cause and quit hunting me down in every nook and cranny of Israel. I'll be out of his reach for good."
2
So David left; he and his six hundred men went to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3
They moved in and settled down in Gath, with Achish. Each man brought his household; David brought his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, widow of Nabal of Carmel.
4
When Saul was told that David had escaped to Gath, he called off the hunt.
5
Then David said to Achish, "If it's agreeable to you, assign me a place in one of the rural villages. It doesn't seem right that I, your mere servant, should be taking up space in the royal city."
6
So Achish assigned him Ziklag. (This is how Ziklag got to be what it is now, a city of the kings of Judah.)
7
David lived in Philistine country a year and four months.
8
From time to time David and his men raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites - these people were longtime inhabitants of the land stretching toward Shur and on to Egypt.