1 Samuel 27

1 And David said in his heart, “One day now I will be swept into Saul’s hands. There is nothing good for me unless I get away into the land of the Philistines and Saul gives up looking for me in every part of Israel. Then I will be out of his hand.” [a] 2 So David got up, he and the four hundred men who were with him, and went over to Achish son of Ammach, king of Gath. [b] 3 And David settled with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each man with his household — and David with both his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite woman and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 4 And it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, and he did not go looking for him any more.

5 And David said to Achish, “If your slave has found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the country towns, and I will live there. Why should your slave live with you in a royal city?” 6 And that day he gave him Ziklag. That is why Ziklag has belonged to the king of Judah to this day. 7 The number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was four months. [c]

8 And David and his men would go up and raid the Geshurites and the Amalekites; for the land was lived in by people out of the walled towns, from Gelampsur as far as the land of Egypt. [d] 9 And he struck the land and left no man or woman alive; and he took flocks and herds and donkeys and camels and clothing, and they turned back and came to Achish. 10 And Achish said to David, “Whom did you raid today?” And David said to Achish, “The southern country of Judah, and the southern country of Jesmega, and the southern country of the Kenizzite.” [e] 11 And he left no man or woman alive to bring into Gath, for he said, “They must not report about us in Gath and say, ‘This is what David does.’” And this was his way all the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish trusted David completely, and said, “He has utterly disgraced himself among his own people in Israel, and he will be my slave forever.” [f]