Achish

³⁹ After three years, however, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And Shimei was told, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.”

⁴⁰ So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves, and he brought them back from Gath.

¹⁰ That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.

¹¹ But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”

¹² Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

¹³ So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.

¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me?

² So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.

³ 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.

⁴ And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵ 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?”

⁶ That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.

⁹ 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,

¹⁰ 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.”

¹¹ 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.

¹² So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”

¹ Now in those days the Philistines gathered their forces for warfare against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men are to go out to battle with me.”

² David replied, “Then you will come to know what your servant can do.” “Very well,” said Achish. “I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

² As the Philistine leaders marched out their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched behind them with Achish.

³ Then the commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, the servant of King Saul of Israel? He has been with me all these days, even years, and from the day he defected until today I have found no fault in him.”

⁶ So Achish summoned David and told him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been upright in my sight, and it seems right that you should march in and out with me in the army, because I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until this day. But you have no favor in the sight of the leaders.

⁷ Therefore turn back now and go in peace, so that you will not do anything to displease the leaders of the Philistines.”

⁸ “But what have I done?” David replied. “What have you found against your servant, from the day I came to you until today, to keep me from going along to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹ Achish replied, “I know that you are as pleasing in my sight as an angel of God. But the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’