¶ And David said in his heart, I shall² now perish³ one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land⁴ of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

And David⁵ arose, and he passed over with the six⁶ hundred men that were with him unto Achish⁷, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two⁸ wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought⁹ no more again for him.

And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town¹⁰ in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

Then Achish gave him Ziklag¹¹ that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

And the time¹² that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

¶ And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites¹⁴, and the Amalekites¹⁵: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest¹⁶ to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

And David smote the land, and left neither¹⁷ man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels¹⁸, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

¶ And Achish said, Whither¹⁹ have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against²⁰ the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites²¹, and against the south of the Kenites²².

And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest²³ they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor²⁴ him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.