1 Samuel 27:4–12

⁴Saul was told that David had run away to Gath. So he didn’t look for David anymore.

⁵David said to Achish, “If you are pleased with me, give me a place in one of your country towns. I can live there. I don’t really need to live near you in the royal city.”

⁶So on that day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag. It has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since that time. ⁷David lived in Philistine territory for a year and four months.

⁸Sometimes David and his men would go up and attack the Geshurites. At other times they would attack the Girzites or the Amalekites. All of those people had lived in the land that reached all the way to Shur and Egypt. They had been there for a long time.

⁹When David would attack an area, he wouldn’t leave a man or woman alive. But he would take their sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels and clothes. Then he would return to Achish.

¹⁰Achish would ask, “Who did you attack today?” David would answer, “The people who live in the Negev Desert of Judah.” Or he would answer, “The people in the Negev Desert of Jerahmeel.” Or he would answer, “The people in the Negev Desert of the Kenites.”

¹¹David wouldn’t leave a man or woman alive to be brought back to Gath. He thought, “They might tell on us. They might tell Achish who we really attacked.” That’s what David did as long as he lived in Philistine territory.

¹²Achish trusted David. He thought, “David has made himself smell very bad to his people, the Israelites. So he’ll serve me forever.”