Kings I

27

1 And David said in his heart, Now shall I be one day delivered for death into the hands of Saul; and there is no good thing for me unless I should escape into the land of the Philistines, and Saul should cease from seeking me *through every coast of Israel: so I shall escape out of his hand.

2 So David arose, and the six hundred men that were with him, and he went to Anchus, son of Ammach, king of Geth.

3 And David dwelt with Anchus, he and his men, each with his family; and David and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

4 And it was told Saul that David had fled to Geth; and he no longer sought after him.

5 And David said to Anchus, If now thy servant has found grace in thine eyes, let them give me, I pray thee, a place in one of the cities in the country, and I will dwell there: for why does thy servant dwell with thee in a †royal city?

6 And he gave him Sekelac in that day: therefore Sekelac came into possession of the king of Judea to this day.

7 And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was four months.

8 And David and his men went up, and made an attack on all the Gesirites and on the Amalekites: and behold, the land was inhabited, (even the land ‡from Gelampsur) by those who come from the fortified cities even to the land of Egypt.

9 And he smote the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive; and they took flocks, and herds, and asses, and camels, and raiment; and they returned and came to Anchus.

10 And Anchus said to David, On whom have ye made an attack to-day? And David said to Anchus, On the south of Judea, and on the south of Jesmega, and on the south of the Kenezite.

11 And I have not saved man or woman alive to bring them to Geth, saying, Lest they carry a report to Geth against us, saying, These things David does. And this was his manner all the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

12 So David had the full confidence of Anchus, §who said, He is thoroughly disgraced among his people in Israel, and he shall be my servant for ever.