1 Samuel 29

Revised Geneva Translation

29 So the Philistines were gathered together with all their armies in Aphek. And the Israelites camped by the fountain which is in Jezreel.

² And the princes of the Philistines went forth by hundreds and thousands; but David and his men came behind with Achish.

³ Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is not this David, the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And I have found nothing in him since he has dwelt with me, until this day.”

⁴ But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him. And the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Send this fellow back, so that he may go back to his place to which you have appointed him. And let him not go down with us to battle, lest that in the battle he be an adversary to us. For with what would he obtain the favor of his master if not with the heads of these men?

⁵ “Is not this that David of whom they sang in dances, saying, ‘Saul killed his thousand and David his ten thousand?’”

⁶ Then Achish called David, and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have been upright and good in my sight when you went out and in with me in the camp. Nor have I found evil with you since you came to me until this day. But the princes do not favor you.

⁷ “Therefore, return now and go in peace, so that you do not displease the princes of the Philistines.”

⁸ And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant for as long as I have been with you, until this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹ Achish then answered and said to David, “I know you please me as an angel of God. But the princes of the Philistines have said, “Let him not go up with us to battle.

¹⁰ “Therefore, now, rise up early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And when you are up early, as soon as you have light, depart.”

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