1 Samuel 21:10-22:2

New King James Version

David Flees to Gath

¹⁰ Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. ¹¹ And ^(A)the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:

¹² Now David ^(C)took these words ^[a]to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. ¹³ So ^(D)he changed his behavior before them, pretended ^[b]madness in their hands, ^[c]scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. ¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? ¹⁵ Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

David’s Four Hundred Men^(E)

22 David therefore departed from there and ^(F)escaped ^(G)to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. ^2 (H)And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was ^[d]discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about ^(I)four hundred men with him.