1 Samuel 29

1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their army at Aphek; the Israelites camped by the spring that 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 The princes of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands; David and his men passed on in the rear guard 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 Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” Achish said to the other princes 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 with him since he came away to me to 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 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He will not go down with us into battle, for he will turn against us during the fighting. For how else could he make himself acceptable to his master than by taking the heads of our own 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 sang one to another in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?”

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 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As Yahweh lives, you have been good, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my view; for I have found nothing wrong with you since the day of your coming to me to this very day. Nevertheless, the princes are not favorable to you.

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 So now return and go in peace, so that you do not displease 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 David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant as long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my master 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 Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless, the princes of the Philistines have said, 'He must not go up with us to the 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 So now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your master who have come with you; as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, go away.”

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 So David rose up early, he and his men, to leave in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went 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.