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¶ Dauid fleeth to Achis kynge of Geth, which gy∣ueth him zikeleg to dwell in. He killeth the Philisti∣nes. And when Achis demaunded agaynste whome he had roued, he gyueth him a subtyll answere and deceyueth hym properlye.
THen thought Dauid in his hert: I may [ A] perish at one daye or other by the hādes of Saul. There is no better thing for me
then to flee in to the lande of the Philistines, that Saul of verye dispayre to fynde me, may cease sekynge me any more in all the coostes of Israel: for so I may escape his hand. And Da∣uid arose, and he and the sixe hundred mē that were with him went vnto Achis the sonne of Maoch kynge of Geth. And Dauid dwelte wt Achis at Geth, bothe he & his men, euery man with his housholde, and Dauid with his two wyues: Ahinoam the Iezrahelite and Abigail [ B] Nabals wife of Carmell. So whē it was told Saul yt Dauid was fled to Geth, he soughte no more for him. And Dauid sayd vnto Achis: Yf I haue founde grace in thyne eyes, let me haue a place in some towne in the feldes, that I maye dwell there. For what sholde thy ser∣uaunt dwell, in the heed citye of the kingdome with the? Then Achis gaue him Zikeleg the same daye for which cause Zikeleg pertayneth vnto the kynges of Iuda vnto this daye. And the tyme that Dauid dwelte in the countreye [ C] of the Philistines, was a yere and foure mo∣nethes. And Dauid and his men went and ran vpon the Gesurites, the Gerzites, and the A∣malekites, whiche nacions were from the be∣gynnynge the inhabitantes of the lande, as men go to Sur, and so forth to Egypt. And Da¦uid smote the lande, and lefte neither man ne womā alyue / and toke the shepe, the oxen, the asses, camels, and clothes, and remoued & came to Achis. And Achis sayde / haue ye not bene [ D] a rouyng this daye? And Dauid answered / yes in the southe of Iuda / and in the southe of the Iezrahelytes, and in the south of the Kenites. And Dauid saued neither man nor woman a∣lyue to bryng to Geth, sayinge leest they shold speake agaynste vs: Thus dyd Dauid, and so was his maner all the whyle he dwelte in the countrey of the Philistines. And Achis bileued Dauid, saying: He hath wrought moche mis∣chefe agaynst his people Israel, and therfore he shall be my seruaunt for euer.