1 Samuel 27

Revised Geneva Translation

27 And David said in his heart, “I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. Is it not better for me that I save myself in the land of the Philistines—so that Saul may lose hope in seeking me anymore in all the territory of Israel—and so escape out of his hand?”

² Therefore, David arose. And he and the six hundred men who were with him went to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

³ And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household and David with his two wives (Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the wife Nabal the Carmelite).

⁴ And it was told to Saul that David had fled to Gath. So he sought no more for him.

⁵ And David said to Achish, “If I have now found grace in your eyes, let them give me a place in some other city of the country, so that I may dwell there. For why would your servant dwell in the head city of the kingdom with you?”

⁶ Then Achish gave him Ziklag that same day. Therefore, Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.

⁷ And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was four months and some days.

⁸ Then David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites. For they inhabited the land from the beginning, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt.

⁹ And David struck the land and left neither man nor woman alive and took sheep and oxen and donkeys and camels and apparel and returned and came to Achish.

¹⁰ And Achish said, “Where have you made a raid this day?” And David answered, “Against the South of Judah and against the South of the Jerahmeelites and against the South of the Kenites.”

¹¹ And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell on us, and say, “So did David! And so has been his manner all the while that he has dwelt in the country of the Philistines!’”

¹² And Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people of Israel utterly abhor him. Therefore, he shall be my servant forever.”