David at Gath

¹⁰ That day David fled from Saul and went^(A) to Achish king of Gath. ¹¹ But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:

¹² David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. ¹³ So he pretended to be insane^(C) in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

¹⁴ Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me?

² So David and the six hundred men^(A) with him left and went^(B) over to Achish^(C) son of Maok king of Gath. ³ David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives:^(D) Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

⁶ So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag,^(E) and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. ⁷ David lived^(F) in Philistine territory a year and four months.

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites,^(G) the Girzites and the Amalekites.^(H) (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur^(I) and Egypt.) ⁹ Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive,^(J) but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

¹⁰ When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel^(K)” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.^(L)” ¹¹ He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. ¹² Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious^(M) to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.^(N)”