Book Order Bible

¹NOW the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek; and the Israelites were encamped by the fountain which is in Jezreel. ²And the lords of the Philistines were passing in review by 100s and by 1,000s; but David and his men marched in the rear with Achish. ³Then the princes of the Philistines said to Achish, Why are these men marching here? And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, This is David, the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, who has been with us a year and some months, and I have found no fault in him from the day he came to me until this day. ⁴But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and they said to him, Drive this fellow out of the camp, that he may return to his place which you have assigned him; and let him not go with us to the battle, lest he be an adversary to us there; for how could this man reconcile himself to his lord, except with our heads? ⁵Is this not David, of whom the daughters of Israel sang to one another with timbrels, saying, Saul has slain his 1,000s, and David his 10,000s?

⁶Then Achish called David and said to him, As Yahvah lives, you have been upright, and your coming in and your going out with me in the battle is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to us to this day; nevertheless you are not good in the sight of the lords. ⁷Therefore, return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines. ⁸And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day that I have come to you until this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? ⁹And Achish answered and said to David, I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; but the princes of the Philistines have said, He will not go with us to the battle. ¹⁰Now therefore rise up early in the morning with your master's servants who came with you; and at daybreak, go on your way. ¹¹So David and his men rose up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.