| 1 | Now the Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by the fountain in Jezreel. |
| 2 | As the Philistine lords were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were in the rear with Achish, |
| 3 | The Philistine princes said, What are these Hebrews doing here? Achish said to the Philistine princes, Is not this David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days and years, and I have found no fault in him since he deserted to me to this day? |
| 4 | And the Philistine princes were angry with Achish and they said to him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place where you have assigned him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could David reconcile himself to his master? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? |
| 5 | Is not this David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands? |
| 6 | Then Achish called David and said to him, As surely as the Lord lives, you have been honest
and
upright, and for you to go out and come in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have found no evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Yet the lords do not approve of you. |
| 7 | So return now and go peaceably, so as not to displease the Philistine lords. |
| 8 | David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? |
| 9 | And Achish 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 shall not go up with us to the battle. |
| 10 | So now rise up early in the morning, with your master’s servants who have come with you, and as soon as you are up and have light, depart. |
| 11 | So David and his men rose up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel [to fight against Israel]. |