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 (A)now for days and years, and since he deserted to me (B)I have found no fault in him to this day.” But (C)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 (D)to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, (E)lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances,

(F)‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
    and David his ten thousands’?”

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The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”

Achish replied, “Is this not David,(A) who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year,(B) 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(C) 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(D) 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’?”(E)

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