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 assembled together all their camps at Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is by Yizre'el.

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.

And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; but David and his men passed on at the last 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 said the princes of the Philistines, What are these Hebrews to do? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Behold, this is David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who hath been with me already a year, or even years, and I have not found the least in him [to blame] from the day of his joining [me] until this day?

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?

And the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Cause this man to go back, that he may return to his place whither thou hast assigned him; but he shall not go down with us to the battle, that he may not become an adversary to us in the battle; for wherewith could this person reconcile himself unto his master? is it not by means of the heads of these 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 not this David, of whom they sang one to another in the dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten 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;

Then did Achish call David, and say unto him, As the Lord liveth, [I declare] that thou art upright, and that thy going out and thy coming in with me in the camp is good in my eyes; for I have not found in thee any evil from the day of thy coming unto me until this day; nevertheless in the eyes of the lords thou art not good.

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

And now return, and go in peace, that thou mayest not do any evil in the eyes of the lords 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?”

And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant from the day that I have been before thee, until this day, that I shall not go 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;

And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my eyes, as an angel of God; nevertheless, the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

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.”

And now rise up early in the morning with the servants of thy master that are come with thee: and rise then up early in the morning, and when ye have light, go away.

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.

And David and his men rose up early to go away in the morning, to return unto the land of the Philistines; but the Philistines went up to Yizre'el.