1 Samuel 27:1–7

David Flees to the Philistines

27Then 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.” ²So David arose and went over, he and ^uthe six hundred men who were with him, ^vto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with ^whis two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow. ⁴And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him.

⁵Then David said to Achish, “If ^xI 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?” ⁶So that day Achish gave him ^yZiklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. ^7zAnd the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.