1 Samuel 27:1-7

Christian Standard Bible

David Flees to Ziklag

27 David said to himself, “One of these days I’ll be swept away by Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines.^(A) Then Saul will give up searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I’ll escape from him.” ² So David set out with his six hundred men^(B) and went over to Achish son of Maoch,^(C) the king of Gath. ³ David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath. Each man had his family with him,^(D) and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel,^(E) Nabal’s widow. ⁴ When it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵ Now David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” ⁶ That day Achish gave Ziklag^(F) to him, and it still belongs to the kings of Judah today. ⁷ The length of time that David stayed in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.^(G)