Dawud said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Talut: there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Talut will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. 2Dawudarose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish Ibn Maoch, king of Gath. 3Dawud lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even Dawud with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. 4It was told Talut that Dawud had fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. 5Dawud said to Achish, If now I have found favour in your eyes, give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you? 6Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day. 7The number of the days that Dawud lived in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. 8Dawud and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those nations were the ancient inhabitants of the land, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. 9Dawud struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the clothing; and he returned, and came to Achish. 10Achish said, Against whom have you made a raid today? Dawud said, Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites. 11Dawud saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did Dawud, and so has been his manner all the while he has lived in the country of the Philistines. 12Achish believed Dawud, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever.