1 Samuel 29

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].

1 Samuel 29

David Is Rejected by the Philistine Leaders

1 The Philistines assembled all their troopst at Aphek, while Israel camped at the spring that is in Jezreel.

2 When the leaders of the Philistines were passing in review at the head of their units of hundreds and thousands,t David and his men were passing in review in the rear with Achish.

3 The leaders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines, “Isn’t this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me for quite some time?t I have found no fault with him from the day of his defection until the present time!”t
4 But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and saidt to him, “Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don’t let him go down with us into the battle, for he might becomet our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men?t

5 Isn’t this David, of whom they sang as they danced,t
‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands’?”
6 So Achish summoned David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you are an honest man, and I am glad to have yout servingt with me in the army.t I have found no fault with you from the day that you first came to me until the present time. But in the opiniont of the leaders, you are not reliable.t

7 So turn and leavet in peace. You must not do anything that the leaders of the Philistines consider improper!”t
8 But David said to Achish, “What have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day that I first came into your presence until the present time, that I shouldn’t go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?”9 Achish replied to David, “I am convinced that you are as reliablet as the angel of God! However, the leaders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us in the battle.’

10 So get up early in the morning along with the servants of your lord who have come with you.s When you get up early in the morning, as soon as it is light enough to see, leave.”t

11 So David and his men got up early in the morning to returns to the land of the Philistines, but the Philistines went up to Jezreel.