1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to Aphek:
and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel. 2 The lords
of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his
men passed on in the rearward with Achish. 3 Then said the princes of the
Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? Achish said to the
princes of the Philistines, Isn’t 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 in him since he fell away to me to this day?
4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes
of the Philistines said to him, Make the man return, that he may go back to
his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to
battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us: for with what should
this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? should it not be with the
heads of these men? 5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another
in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?
6 Then Achish called David, and said to him, As Yahweh lives, you have
been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the host is
good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your
coming to me to this day: nevertheless the lords don’t favor you.
7 Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords
of the Philistines. 8 David said to Achish, But what have I done? and what
have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day,
that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
9 Achish answered David, I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel
of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall
not go up with us to the battle. 10 Therefore now rise up early in the
morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you; and as soon as
you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart. 11 So David
rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the
land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.
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