< 1 Samuel 29 >

1 And the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek; and Israel encamped by the spring that is in Jizreel.
Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites camped by the spring 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.
The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish.
3 And the princes of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews? And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years, and I have found nothing in him since the day of his falling away [to me] to this day?
Then the leaders of the Philistines said, "What about these Hebrews?" And Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines, "Isn't 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 defected to me until this day?"
4 But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, Make the man return, that he may go again to his place where thou hast appointed him, that he go not down with us to the battle, that in the battle he be not an adversary to us; for wherewith should this [fellow] reconcile himself to his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?
But the leaders of the Philistines were angry with him, and said to him, "Send that man back to the place where you have assigned him, and he must not go down with us to battle, or in the battle he may become an adversary. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Should 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 smote his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
Is not this David about whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?'"
6 And Achish called David, and said to him, [As] Jehovah liveth, thou art upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the camp is acceptable to me; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming to me to this day; but thou art not acceptable to the lords.
Then Achish called David, and said to him, "As the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not favor you.
7 And now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.
Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines."
8 And David said to Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee to this day, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you 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 art acceptable to me, as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
Then Achish answered David, "I know that you are good in my sight. However, the leaders of the Philistines have said, 'He must not go up with us to the battle.'
10 And now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee; and rise ye early in the morning, and when ye have daylight, depart.
So get up early in the morning, you and the servants of your lord who have come with you, and go to the place which I allotted to you. As for evil remarks, take none to heart; for you are good in my sight. And as soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart."
11 And 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 Jizreel.
So David and his men got up early to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

< 1 Samuel 29 >