David decided to escape from Saul to the land of the Philistines, hoping for Saul to despair seeking him any longer the land of Israel.

There David soon found favor in the eyes of the king of Gath, Achish for whom he won many battles against his enemies. Thus he along with his wives and men lived with Achish for a year and  four months, who gave David a town named Ziklag.

The Philstines along with David decided to fight against Israel, causing great fear in Saul. Saul called upon a woman who was a medium to talk to the soul of Samuel who had passed away. When the woman summoned Samuel, Saul was clearly informed of his impending death as he had sinned against LORD by disobeying Him. Saul was grief stricken and fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel.

However in the battle between the Philistines and Israel, David was seen by the Philistine soldiers with suspicion as they feared him to become their adversary who would side with his old lord Saul during the fight. They sent David back to the land of the Philistines, while they proceeded with the attack.

Here David finds himself in a face off against the Amalekites who raided Ziklag and burned the city and took captive all the women who were in it, including the wives of David.  However David struck them all down from the twilight until the evening of the next day, and rescued all his wives and the women and sons and daughters and nothing was missing, whether small or great. He also captured all the flocks and herds of the enemy and distributed a fair share of spoil among his men.

 

Now the Philistines overtook Saul and struck down Jonathan and other sons of Saul, who himself was badly wounded by the archers who found him.

 

Then Saul said to his armor bearer “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and mistreat me”.  But his armor bearer would not for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.

 

When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died and his three sons and his armor bearer and all his men on the same day together. The Philistines captured the cities of the Israelites who fled.