## David Escapes to the Philistines 

###### 1
Then 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 that I should utterly escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand." 

###### 2
So David arose and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 

###### 3
And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each with his household, _even_ David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. 

###### 4
And it was told to Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him. 

###### 5
Then David said to Achish, "If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?" 

###### 6
So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 

###### 7
And the number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months. 

###### 8
Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. 

###### 9
And David struck the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. 

###### 10
And Achish said, "Where have you made a raid today?" And David said, "Against the Negev of Judah and against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites and against the Negev of the Kenites." 

###### 11
And David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, "Lest they tell about us, saying, 'So has David done and so _has been_ his custom all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.'" 

###### 12
So Achish believed David, saying, "He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever."