1. Then David said in his heart, “One day I’ll be swept away by the hand of Saul. There’s nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me in all the territories of Israel, so I’ll escape from his hand.”
2. So David rose and crossed over, he and the 600 men that were with him, to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3. David stayed with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives—Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow.
4. So when Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
5. Then David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, let me be given a place in one of the country towns, so I may live there. Why should your servant stay in the royal city with you?”
6. So Achish granted him Ziklag that day. Thus Ziklag came to belong to the kings of Judah to this day.
7. The number of days that David stayed in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.