1
David said in his heart, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand."
2
So David set out and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to King Achish son of Maoch of Gath.
3
David stayed with Achish at Gath, he and his troops, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow.
4
When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought for him.
5
Then David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your sight, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, so that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?"
6
So that day Achish gave him Ziklag; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.
7
The length of time that David lived in the country of the Philistines was one year and four months.
8
Now David and his men went up and made raids on the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for these were the landed settlements from Telam on the way to Shur and on to the land of Egypt.
9
David struck the land, leaving neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing, and came back to Achish.