1 Samuel 29

1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by the fountain which is in Jezreel.

2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands, and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.

3 Then the rulers of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews? And Achish said to the rulers of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away to me to this day?

4 But the rulers of the Philistines were angry with him. And the rulers of the Philistines said to him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where thou have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For with what does this man reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of these men?

5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands?

6 Then Achish called David, and said to him, As Jehovah lives, thou have been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the army is good in my sight, for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming to me to this day. Nevertheless the lords do not favor thee.

7 Therefore now return, and go in peace, that thou not displease the lords of the Philistines.

8 And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou are good in my sight, as an agent of God, notwithstanding the rulers of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

10 Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of thy lord who have come with thee, and as soon as ye are up early in the morning, and have light, depart.

11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.