Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the
hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should
escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of
seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall
escape out of his hand.” So David arose and went over, he and the
six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king
of Gath. And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every
man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of
Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow. And when it was told
Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him.

  Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes,
let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may
dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city
with you?” So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has
belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. And the number of the
days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year
and four months.

  Now David and his men went up and made raids against the
Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the
inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of
Egypt. And David would strike the land and would leave neither man
nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the
donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish.
When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would
say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the
Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” And David
would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath,
thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has
done.’” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country
of the Philistines. And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has
made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he
shall always be my servant.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001
by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.