David among the Philistines

27 Then David said to himself, ‘I will be destroyed some day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.’ 2 So David set out, together with the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 David stayed with Achish at Gath, together with his men, each with his household and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow. 4 When Saul was informed that David had fled to Gath, he sought him no more.

5 David Said to Achish, ‘If now I have found favour in your sight, let a place in one of the towns in the open country be given me, that I may live there, for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?’ 6 So Achish gave him Ziklag at that time, therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 The length of the time that David lived in the open country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

8 David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these tribes live in the land which extends from Telem as far as Shur, all the way down to Egypt. 9 As often as David struck the land, he did not leave alive man or woman, but taking the sheep, the oxen, the asses, the camels, and the clothing, he returned and came to Achish. 10 When Achish said, ‘Where have you made a raid today?’ David answered, ‘Against the Negreb of Judah’, or ‘against the Negreb of the Jerahmeelites’, or ‘against the Negreb of the Kenites.’ 11 But David never left alive man or woman, to bring them to Gath, for he thought, ‘They might give information against us and say, “David has done this, or that.”’ Such was his custom all the while he lived in the open country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish trusted David, thinking, ‘He has brought himself into ill odour with his people Israel, therefore he will be my servant forever.’

28 Now in those days the Philistines assembled their forces to make a campaign against Israel. Achish said to David, ‘You know thqt you must, together with your men, go with me along with the forces.’ 2 David said to Achish, ‘Good, you will now know what your servant can do.’ And Achish said to David, ‘I will make you my bodyguard from this time on.’

3 Now Samuel had died and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had banished the mediums and magicians out of the land. 4 When the Philistines assembled and came and encamped in Shunem, Saul assembled all Israel, and they encamped in Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart was filled with apprehension. 6 Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Find for me a woman who is a medium so that I may go to her and inquire through her.’ His servants said to him, ‘Behold, there is a medium at Endor.’

8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes and went, taking two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. He said, ‘Tell my future by consulting the dead, call up for me the one whom I name to you.’ 9 The woman said to him, Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has banished the mediums and the magicians from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life, to put me to death?’ 10 And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, ‘As the Lord lives, no guilt will come upon you for this.’ 11 Then the woman said, ‘Whom should I bring up to you?’ He said, ‘Bring up Samuel.’ 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. The woman said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me, for you are Saul?’ 13 The king said to her, ‘Do not be afraid! What do you see?’ The woman said to Saul, ‘I see a god coming up out of the earth.’ 14 He said to her, ‘What is his appearance?’ She said, ‘An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.’ Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the earth in respect.

15 Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’ And Saul answered, ‘I am in great trouble, for the Philistines are making war against me and God has turned from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams; so I have called you to tell me what I should do.’ 16 And Samuel said, ‘Why do you ask of me when the Lord has turned from you and become your adversary? 17 The Lord has done to you as he declared by me, and the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbour, David. 18 Because you did not heed the voice of the Lord, and did not execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek, the Lord has done this thing to you today. 19 The Lord will deliver Israel into the power of the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and the Lord will deliver the army of Israel into the power of the Philistines.’

20 Then Saul fell at once at full length upon the earth and was greatly afraid, because of the words of Samuel, and he had no strength in him, for he had not eaten bread during all the day and all the night. 21 When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly troubled, she said to him, ‘Your servant has heeded your voice, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. 22 Now therefore, listen also to the advice of your servant and let me set before you a morsel of meat, and eat that you may have strength when you go on your way.’ 23 But he refused, and said, ‘I will not eat.’ But his servants, together with the woman urged him, until he listened to their advice. So he rose from the earth and sat upon the couch. 24 The woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and took flour and kneaded it and baked from it unleavened bread. 25 She set it before Saul and his servants and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

29 The Philistines had assembled their forces at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by the fountain in Jezreel. 2 The lords of the Philistines were marching past, with hundreds and with thousands, and David and his men marched in the rear guard with Achish. 3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, ‘What are these Hebrews doing here?’ And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, ‘This is David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has now been with me two years, and I have found no fault in him from the time that he came over to me to the present.’ 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were enraged against him, and said, ‘Send back the man so that he may return to the place where you have stationed him. Don’t let him go down with us to battle – he might become an adversary to us. How could this fellow better ingratiate himself with his master than with the heads of our men? 5 Is this not the David of whom they sang responsively in the dances, saying,

Saul has slain his thousands,

But David his ten thousands?’

6 Then Achish called to David and said to him, ‘As the Lord lives, you are upright, and it is my desire that you should go out and fight with me, for I have found no evil in you from the time that you came to me to the present, but you are not regarded favourably by the lords. 7 Therefore now return and go in peace, so that you do nothing to displease the lords of the Philistines.’ 8 David said to Achish, ‘But what have I done? What have you found in your servant fromt the day that I entered into your service to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?’ 9 And Achish answered David, ‘I know that you are as good in my sight as a Messenger of God, but the commanders of the Philistines have said, “He must not go up with us to the battle.” 10 Therefore now rise early in the morning, with the servants of your lord who came with you, and go to the place where I have stationed you, and do not entertain any evil design in your heart, for you are good in my sight, but rise early in the morning and as soon as it is light, depart.’ 11 So David rose early, together with his men, to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.