King James Version

1 And David said to himself, "Now I will escape one day into the land of the Philistines, and Saul will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand." 2 And David arose and went, and six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David stayed with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each with his household; David and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess 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 seek him anymore. 5 And David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the towns of the country, and I will dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?" 6 And Achish gave him Ziklag on that day; therefore, Ziklag has been belonging to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 And it was the number of days that David dwelt in the land of the Philistines, four months. 8 And David went up, and his men, and they raided the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for they were inhabitants of the land which had been there from ancient times, coming in as far as the land of Egypt. 9 And David struck the land and did not spare a man or a woman, and he took sheep and cattle and donkeys and camels and clothing, and he returned and came to Achish. 10 And Achish said, "You have not acted foolishly today." And David said, "Regarding the South of Judah and regarding the South of the Jerahmeelite and to the South of the Kenite." 11 And neither man nor woman will David spare to bring Gath, lest they tell concerning us, saying, “Thus did David and thus is his judgment all the days that he dwelt in the land of the Philistines.” 12 And Achish believed David, saying, "The stench has made my people in Israel abhorrent, and he will be to me a servant forever."