The Philistines Reject David

1So the Philistines were gathered together with all their armies in Aphec: and the Israelites pytched by Ain, which is in Iezrael. 2And the princes of the Philistines went foorth by hundreds and thousandes: But Dauid and his men came behinde with Achis. 3The sayd the princes of the Philistines, what do these Ebrues here? Achis said vnto the princes of the Philistines: Is not this Dauid, the seruaunt of Saul the king of Israel, which hath ben with me these dayes, or these yeres, and I haue found no fault in him, since he fell vnto me, vnto this day? 4And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with hym, and the princes of the Philistines sayde vnto hym: Make this felowe returne, that he may go againe to his place which thou hast appoynted hym, and let hym not go downe with vs to battayle, lest in the battayle he be an aduersarie to vs: For wherewith shoulde he obtayne the fauour of his maister? shoulde it not be with the heades of these men?

5Is not this Dauid, to whom they sang in daunces, saying: Saul slue his thousande, & Dauid his ten thousande?

6Then Achis called Dauid, and sayde vnto him: As the Lorde lyueth, thou hast ben honest, and good in my sight, when thou wentest out and in with me in the hoast, neither haue I founde euyll with thee sence thou camest to me, vnto this day: Neuerthelesse, the princes fauour thee not. 7Wherefore nowe returne, and go in peace, that thou displease not the princes of the Philistines. 8And Dauid sayde vnto Achis: And what haue I done? what hast thou founde in thy seruaunt as long as I haue ben with thee vnto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lorde the king? 9Achis aunswered and sayd to Dauid: I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angell of God: Notwithstanding, the princes of the Philistines haue sayde, Let him not go vp with vs to battaile. 10Wherefore now ryse vp earlie in the morning with thy maisters seruautes that are come to thee: and whe ye be vp earlie, assoone as ye haue lyght, departe. 11And so Dauid & his men rose vp earlie, to depart in the morning, and to returne into the land of the Philistines: And the Philistines wet vp to Iezrael.