The Philistines Reject David

1And the Philistines gathered together all their camps to Aphek, and Israel encamped by the fountain that is in Jezreel. 2And the princes of the Philistines were passing over by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing over at the rear with Achish.

3And the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews?”

And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days, even these years? And I have not found in him anything from the day of his falling up to this day.”

4And the princes of the Philistines were angry with him. And the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place that you assigned him there, and do not let him go down with us to the battle, that he become not our adversary in the battle. For by what shall this one make himself acceptable to his master, if not by the heads of those men? 5Is not this David, whom they sang of him in the dances, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his myriads’?”

6and Achish called to David and said to him, “As YHWH lives, surely you have been upright, and good in my eyes is your going out and your coming in with me in the camp. For I have not found in you evil since the day of your coming to me until this day. And in the eyes of the princes is no favor of you. 7And now, return and go in peace, that you do not do evil in the eyes of the princes of the Philistines.”

8And 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?”

9And Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as pleasing 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.’ 10And now rise early in the morning with the servants of your master who have come with you, and when you⁺ have risen early in the morning, and have light for it, then depart.”

11And David rose early, he and his men, to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.