1 Samuel 27:1–7

David Allied with the Philistines

27And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will ¹despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.” ²Then David arose ^aand went over with the six hundred men who were with him ^bto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David ^cwith his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow. ⁴And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.

⁵Then David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” ⁶So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore ^dZiklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. ⁷Now ²the time that David ^edwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months.