27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by
the hand of Saul: [there is] nothing better for me than that I
should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and
Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in any border of
Israel; so shall I escape from his hand.
27:2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred
men that [were] with him to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of
Gath.
27:3 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
wife.
27:4 And it was told to Saul that David had fled to Gath: and he
sought no more again for him.
27:5 And David said to Achish, If I have now found grace in thy
eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country,
that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the
royal city with thee?
27:6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag
pertaineth to the kings of Judah to this day.
27:7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the
Philistines was a full year and four months.
27:8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites,
and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those [nations were]
of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even
to the land of Egypt.
27:9 And David smote the land, and 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.
27:10 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to-day? And
David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south
of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.
27:11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring
[tidings] to Gath, saying, Lest they should inform against us,
saying, So did David, and so [will be] his manner all the while
he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.
27:12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people
Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant
for ever.
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