CHAPTER 27
David, however,
said
to
himself,
“One
of these days
now
I will be swept away
by the hand
of Saul.
There is nothing
better
for me
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."
David
and his men
settled
in Gath
with
Achish,
and each man
had his family with him.
David
had his two
wives,
Ahinoam
of Jezreel
and Abigail
of Carmel,
the widow
of Nabal.
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?"
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 repugnant
to his people
Israel,
he will be
my
servant
forever.”