非利士人不信任大衛

29 非利士人把全部軍隊聚集在亞弗,以色列軍則在耶斯列水泉旁紮營。 非利士首領統率以百人和千人為單位的士兵向前推進,大衛和他的部下跟著亞吉走在隊伍的後面。 非利士人的官長說:「這些希伯來人在這裡做什麽?」亞吉告訴他們說:「這是以色列王掃羅的臣僕大衛,他追隨我有一段日子了,自從他投奔我以來,我沒發現他有什麼過錯。」 他們卻生氣地說:「請送這個人回到你安置他的地方,他不可和我們一起去打仗,免得他在戰場上倒戈。他提著我們的腦袋去重投故主豈不是最好的方法嗎? 以前婦女們跳舞歌唱『掃羅殺死千千,大衛殺死萬萬』,歌頌的不就是這個大衛嗎?」

亞吉便叫大衛過來,對他說:「我憑永活的耶和華起誓,你一向忠心耿耿,自從你投奔我以來,我沒發現你有什麼過錯,我很願意你與我一同作戰,只是眾首領不贊成。 你安心地回去吧,免得他們不悅。」 大衛說:「我究竟做錯了什麼?自從僕人投奔你以來,你發現僕人有什麼過錯?為什麼不讓我為我主我王殺敵呢?」 亞吉說:「你在我眼中就像上帝的天使一樣好,只是非利士眾官長反對你與我們一起出戰。 10 明天一早,你就和從掃羅手下投奔你的人啟程回去吧。」

11 於是,大衛和部下清早起來返回非利士,非利士軍則前往耶斯列。

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.

10 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.

11 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.

Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag

29 The Philistines gathered(A) all their forces at Aphek,(B) and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.(C) As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear(D) with Achish. The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”

Achish replied, “Is this not David,(E) who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year,(F) and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send(G) the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn(H) against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens of thousands’?”(I)

So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day(J) you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers(K) don’t approve of you. Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”

“But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel(L) of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders(M) have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ 10 Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave(N) in the morning as soon as it is light.”

11 So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.