1 Samuel 29

1 And the Philistines gather all their camps to Aphek, and Israel is encamping at a fountain which [is] in Jezreel,

Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.

2 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.

As the Philistine leaders marched out their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched behind them with Achish.

3 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?”

Then the commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, the servant of King Saul of Israel? He has been with me all these days, even years, and from the day he defected until today I have found no fault in him.”

4 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?

But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the war. What better way for him to regain the favor of his master than with the heads of our men?

5 Is this not David, of whom they answer in choruses, saying, Saul has struck among his thousands, and David among his myriads?”

Is this not the David about whom they sing in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”

6 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;

So Achish summoned David and told him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been upright in my sight, and it seems right that you should march in and out with me in the army, because I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until this day. But you have no favor in the sight of the leaders.

7 and now, return, and go in peace, and you do no evil in the eyes of the princes of the Philistines.”

Therefore turn back now and go in peace, so that you will not do anything to displease the leaders of the Philistines.”

8 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?”

“But what have I done?” David replied. “What have you found against your servant, from the day I came to you until today, to keep me from going along to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

9 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;

Achish replied, “I know that you are as pleasing in my sight as an angel of God. But the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’

10 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.”

Now then, get up early in the morning, along with your master’s servants who came with you, and go as soon as it is light.”

11 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.

So David and his men got up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.