1And Dawiḏ said in his heart, “Now I shall perish by the hand of Sha’ul, some day. There is naught better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Sha’ul shall give up searching for me any longer in any part of Yisra’ĕl, and I shall escape out of his hand.”

2So Dawiḏ rose up and passed over with the six hundred men who were with him to Aḵish son of Ma‛oḵ, sovereign of Gath.

3And Dawiḏ dwelt with Aḵish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household – Dawiḏ with his two wives, Aḥino‛am the Yizre‛ĕlitess, and Aḇig̅ayil the Karmelitess, Naḇal’s widow.

4And it was reported to Sha’ul that Dawiḏ had fled to Gath, so he sought him no more.

5And Dawiḏ said to Aḵish, “If I have now found favour in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, to dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”

6And Aḵish gave him Tsiqlag̅ that day. That is why Tsiqlag̅ has belonged to the sovereigns of Yehuḏah to this day.

7And the time that Dawiḏ dwelt in the country of the Philistines came to be a year and four months.

8And Dawiḏ and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalĕqites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Mitsrayim.

9And when Dawiḏ had smitten the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away sheep, and cattle, and donkeys, and camels, and garments, and returned and came to Aḵish.

10And Aḵish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And Dawiḏ would say, “Against the South of Yehuḏah, or against the South of the Yeraḥme’ĕlites, or against the South of the Qĕynites.”

11Dawiḏ did not keep alive man nor woman, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they inform against us, saying, ‘Thus Dawiḏ did.’ ” And this was his practice all the days that he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

12And Aḵish trusted Dawiḏ, saying to himself, “He has indeed made himself a stench to his people in Yisra’ĕl, and has become my servant forever.”