THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
1 Samuel 27 ©
David, not trusting Saul, determines to leave the land of Israel, v. 1, etc. He goes forth with 600 men to king Achish, 2. Where he abides a while with all his family, 3. Saul hearing of this, desists from pursuing after him, 4. David desires a city to dwell in, 5. Achish gives him Ziklag, 6. There he dwelt a year and four months, 7. David spoils some of the neighbor nations, 8. And left no man there alive, 9. That no man might complain of him to Achish, 11. Achish believes and trusts David too much, 12.
AND David said 1in his heart, I shall now perish 2one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for 3me than 4that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
And David arose, and 5he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of 6Gath.
And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s 7wife.
And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
¶And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, 8let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: 9for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?
Then Achish gave him 10Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines 11was a full year and four months.
¶And David and his men went up, and invaded the 12Geshurites, and the 13Gezrites, and the 14Amalekites: for 15those nations were of old the inhabitants 16of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.
And David smote the 17land, 18and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.
And Achish said, Whither have ye made a roada to day? And David said, 19Against the south of Judah, and against the south 20of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the 21Kenites.
And 22David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, 23saying, 24Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.
And Achish believed David, 25saying, He hath made his people Israel 26utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant 27for ever.