David, however , said to himself , “ One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better than to escape ... to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me ... all over ... Israel , and I will slip out of his hand.”
So David set out with his six hundred men - and went ... to Achish son of Maoch , the 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 : Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel , the widow of Nabal.
And when Saul learned 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 me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns , so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you ?”
That - day Achish gave Ziklag , and to this day (it) still belongs to the kings of Judah.
And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to ... a year and four months.
Now David and his men went up and raided ... the Geshurites , the Girzites , and the Amalekites. ( From ancient times ... these people had inhabited the land - extending to Shur and - Egypt. )
Whenever David - attacked a territory , he did not leave a man or woman {alive} , but he took the flocks and herds , the donkeys , camels , and clothing. Then he would return ... to Achish ,
who ... would ask him , “ What have you raided today ... ? ” And David ... would reply , “ The Negev of Judah , ” or “ The Negev of Jerahmeel ,” or “ The Negev of the Kenites.”
David did not {leave} a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath , for he said , “ Otherwise they will report us , saying , ‘ This is what David did. ’” And this was David’s custom the whole time - he lived in Philistine territory.
So Achish trusted David , thinking , “ Since he has made himself an utter stench ... to his people Israel , he will be servant forever.”