1 Samuel 29
- Now the Philistines gathered together all
their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by
a fountain which is in Jezreel.
- And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by
thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward
with Achish.
- Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here?
And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines,
Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me
these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto
me unto this day?
- And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the
princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may
go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down
with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith
should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it
not be with the heads of these men?
- Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances,
saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
- Then Achish called David, and said unto
him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been
upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my
sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me
unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee
not.
- Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the
lords of the Philistines.
- And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast
thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that
I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
- And Achish answered and said to David, I
know that thou art 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.
- Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's
servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be
up early in the morning, and have light, depart.
- So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to
return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.