1UDavide wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Ngelinye ilanga uSawule uzongibulala. Akukho engingakwenza, kungcono ngibaleke, ngiye ezweni lamaFilisti. USawule uzoyeka ukungifuna esifundeni sonke sakwa-Israyeli, bese ngiphunyuka kanjalo esandleni sakhe.”
2Wayesesuka uDavide, wawela, yena nabantu abangama-600 ayehamba nabo, waya ku-Akhishi, indodana kaMahokhi, inkosi yaseGathi.
3UDavide wahlala no-Akhishi eGathi, yena nabantu bakhe, kwaba yilowo nalowo nabendlu yakhe, uDavide nomkakhe ababili, u-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli no-Abhigayili waseKharimeli, umkaNabali.
4Kwabikwa kuSawule ukuthi uDavide ubalekele eGathi; akabe esamfuna futhi.
5UDavide wathi ku-Akhishi: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, mabanginike indawo komunye wemizi ukuba ngihlale khona, ngokuba inceku yakho izakuhlalelani nawe emzini wenkosi na?”
6U-Akhishi wamnika iZikilagi ngalolo lusuku, ngalokho-ke iZikilagi lingelamakhosi akwaJuda kuze kube namuhla.
7UDavide wahlala unyaka nezinyanga ezine ezweni lamaFilisti.
8UDavide nabantu bakhe bakhuphuka, bayohlasela amaGeshuri, amaGirizi, nama-Amaleki, ababehlala eTheleme ngendlela eya eShuri kuya eGibhithe.
9UDavide walibhubhisa izwe, akaze ashiya muntu ophilayo, owesilisa nowesifazene, wathatha izimvu, izinkabi, izimbongolo, amakameli nezingubo, waya ku-Akhishi.
10U-Akhishi wambuza, wathi: “Benihlasele kuphi namuhla na?” UDavide waphendula wathi: “Siye eningizimu kwaJuda, eningizimu kwaJerameli, naseningizimu yelamaKheni.”
11UDavide akashiyanga owesilisa nowesifazane ephila ukuze abayise eGathi, ngoba wathi: “Hleze basicebe, bathi: ‘UDavide wenze lokhu nalokhu. UDavide wenza kanjalo zonke izinsuku ehleli ezweni lamaFilisti.’ ”
12U-Akhishi wakholwa ngokwakushiwo nguDavide, wathi: “Wenze ukuba abacasukele impela abantu bakubo, abakwa-Israyeli, uzokuba yinceku yami njalo.”