And David said in his heart: “Now I will be swept away one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape — to escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will despair of me, of seeking me any longer in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape out of his hand.”
And David rose and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
And David stayed with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household — David and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, Nabal’s wife, the Carmelite.
And it was told to Saul that David had fled to Gath, and he did not seek him again.
And David said to Achish: “If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities of the countryside, and I will stay there. For why should your servant stay in the royal city with you?”
And Achish gave him Ziklag on that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.
And the number of the days that David stayed in the countryside of the Philistines was a year and four months.
And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurite, and the Girzite, and the Amalekite — for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come toward Shur and as far as the land of Egypt.
And David struck the land, and left alive neither man nor woman; and he took sheep and oxen and donkeys and camels and garments, and returned and came to Achish.
And Achish said, “Where have you raided today?” And David said, “Against the Negev of Judah,” or “Against the Negev of the Jerahmeelite,” or “Against the Negev of the Kenite.”
And David left alive neither man nor woman to bring to Gath, saying, “Lest they tell about us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’” And such was his practice all the days he stayed in the countryside of the Philistines.
And Achish trusted David, saying, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people, to Israel — and he will be my servant forever.”
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