1Now the Philistines gathered all their camps at Aphek, while Israel was camped by the spring that is in Jezreel.
2The lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on at the rear with Achish.
3Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days—or these years—and I have found nothing wrong in him from the day he deserted until this day?”
4But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return to his place where you assigned him. He shall not go down with us into the battle, lest he become an adversary to us in the battle. For how could this one make himself acceptable to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of these men?”
5Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?
6So Achish called David and said to him, “As Yahweh lives, you are upright, and it is good in my eyes for you to go out and come in with me in the camp, for I have found no evil in you from the day you came to me until this day. Yet in the eyes of the lords you are not good.
7Now then, turn back and go in peace, and do not do evil in the eyes of the lords of the Philistines.
8And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I came before you until this day, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are good in my eyes, like an angel of God. Nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us into the battle.’
10So now rise early in the morning, you and the servants of your lord who came with you; rise early in the morning, and as soon as you have light, depart.”
11So David rose early, he and his men, to go in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines; and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
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