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27 And Dovid said in his lev, I shall now perish yom echad by the yad Sha’ul; there is nothing tov for me than that I should speedily escape into the Eretz Pelishtim; and Sha’ul shall despair of searching for me any more in kol gevul Yisroel; so shall I escape out of his yad.

And Dovid arose, and he passed over with the shesh me’ot ish that were with him unto Achish Ben Maoch Melech Gat.

And Dovid dwelt with Achish at Gat, he and his anashim, every ish with his bais (household), even Dovid with his two nashim, Achinoam of Yizre’el, and Avigal eshet Naval of Carmel.

And it was told Sha’ul that Dovid was fled to Gat; and he sought no more again for him.

And Dovid said unto Achish, If I have now found chen in thine eyes, let them give me a makom (place) in some town in the sadeh (country), that I may dwell there; for why should thy eved dwell in the ir hamamlachah (royal city) with thee?

Then Achish gave him Tziklag that day; therefore Tziklag belongs unto the Melachim of Yehudah unto this day.

And the mispar hayamim that Dovid dwelt in the sadeh of the Pelishtim was four months and two days.

And Dovid and his anashim went up, and raided the Geshuri, and the Girzi, and the Amaleki; for they were of old the inhabitants of HaAretz, as thou goest to Shur, even unto Eretz Mitzrayim.

And Dovid attacked the land, and left neither ish nor isha alive, and took away the tzon, and the bakar, and the chamorim, and the gemalim, and the begadim, and returned, and came to Achish.

10 And Achish said, Where have ye raided today? And Dovid said, Against the Negev of Yehudah, or against the Negev of the Yarcheme’eli, or against the Negev of the Keni.

11 And Dovid saved neither ish nor isha alive, to bring [news] to Gat, saying, Lest they should inform on us, saying, So did Dovid, and so has been his mishpat (practice) all the yamim (days) he dwelleth in the sadeh of the Pelishtim (Philistines).

12 And Achish believed Dovid, saying, He hath made his people Yisroel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be eved to me olam (forever).

David Among the Philistines

27 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

So David and the six hundred men(A) with him left and went(B) over to Achish(C) son of Maok king of Gath. 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. When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

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?”

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

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.) 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)