1 David said in his heart, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me except that I escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand." NHEB — 1Samuel 27:1
2 David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. NHEB — 1Samuel 27:2
3 David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal's wife. NHEB — 1Samuel 27:3
4 It was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. NHEB — 1Samuel 27:4
5 David said to Achish, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?" NHEB — 1Samuel 27:5
6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: why Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. NHEB — 1Samuel 27:6
7 The number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. NHEB — 1Samuel 27:7
8 David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites. And look, the land was inhabited from Telem, going in the direction of Shur, as far as the land of Egypt. NHEB — 1Samuel 27:8
9 David struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the cattle, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the clothing; and he returned, and came to Achish. NHEB — 1Samuel 27:9
10 Achish said, "Against whom have you made a raid today?" David would say, "Against the Negev of Judah," or "Against the Negev of Jerahmeel," or "Against the Negev of the Kenizzites." NHEB — 1Samuel 27:10
11 David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, "Lest they should tell of us, saying, 'David has done this, and this has been his way all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.'" NHEB — 1Samuel 27:11
12 Achish believed David, saying, "He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he shall be my servant forever." NHEB — 1Samuel 27:12