< 1 Samuel 29 >
1 Then all the troops of the Philistines were gathered together at Aphek. But Israel also made camp, above the spring which is in Jezreel.
And the Philistines gather all their camps to Aphek, and Israel is encamping at a fountain which [is] in Jezreel,
2 And indeed, the princes of the Philistines advanced by hundreds and by thousands; but David and his men were in the rear with Achish.
and the princes of the Philistines are passing on by hundreds, and by thousands, and David and his men are passing on in the rear with Achish.
3 And the leaders of the Philistines said to Achish, “What do these Hebrews intend to do?” And Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines: “Could you be ignorant about David, who was the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, and who has been with me for many days, even years, and I have not found within him anything, from the day that he fled to me, even to this day?”
And the heads of the Philistines say, “What [are] these Hebrews?” And Achish says to the heads of the Philistines, “Is this not David, servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days or these years, and I have not found anything in him [wrong] from the day of his falling away until this day?”
4 Then the leaders of the Philistines became angry against him, and they said to him: “Let this man return, and let him settle in his place, which you appointed for him. But let him not descend with us to battle, lest he become an adversary to us when we begin to fight. For in what other way will he be able to please his lord, except with our heads?
And the heads of the Philistines are angry against him, and the heads of the Philistines say to him, “Send back the man, and he turns back to his place to where you have appointed him, and does not go down with us into battle, and is not for an adversary to us in battle; and with what does this one reconcile himself to his lord—is it not with the heads of those men?
5 Is not this the David, about whom they were singing, while dancing, saying: ‘Saul struck down his thousands, but David his ten thousands?’”
Is this not David, of whom they answer in choruses, saying, Saul has struck among his thousands, and David among his myriads?”
6 Therefore, Achish called David, and he said to him: “As the Lord lives, you are good and righteous in my sight, even in your departure and your return with me in the military camp. And I have not found anything evil in you, from the day that you came to me, even to this day. But you are not pleasing to the princes.
And Achish calls to David and says to him, “YHWH lives, surely you [are] upright, and good in my eyes is your going out, and your coming in with me in the camp, for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me until this day; but you are not good in the eyes of the princes;
7 Therefore, return, and go in peace, so that you do not offend the eyes of the princes of the Philistines.”
and now, return, and go in peace, and you do no evil in the eyes of the princes of the Philistines.”
8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done, or what have you found in me, your servant, from the day that I was in your sight to this day, so that I may not go out and fight against the enemies of my lord, the king?”
And David says to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day that I have been before you until this day—that I do not go in and have fought against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 And in response, Achish said to David: “I know that you are good in my sight, like an angel of God. But the leaders of the Philistines have said: ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’
And Achish answers and says to David, “I have known that you [are] good in my eyes as a messenger of God; only, the princes of the Philistines have said, He does not go up with us into battle;
10 And so, rise up in the morning, you and the servants of your lord who came with you. And when you have risen up in the night, as it begins to be light, go forth.”
and now, rise early in the morning—and the servants of your lord who have come with you. When you have risen early in the morning, and have light, then go.”
11 And so David rose up in the night, he and his men, so that they might set out in the morning. And they returned to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines ascended to Jezreel.
And David rises early, he and his men, to go in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines have gone up to Jezreel.