² And the ^(A)lords of the Philistines ^[a]passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but ^(B)David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish.

Saul Consults a Medium

28 Now ^(A)it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.”

² So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.”

And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”

⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the Lord lives, you have been upright, and ^(A)your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day ^(B)I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. ⁷ Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”

^3 (A)from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the ^(B)five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also ^(C)the Avites;

⁴ Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?”

They answered, ^(A)“Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of ^[a]you and on your lords.

⁸ Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the ^(A)lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?”

And they answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to ^(B)Gath.” So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away. ⁹ So it was, after they had carried it away, that ^(C)the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, ^[a]and tumors broke out on them.

¹⁰ Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!” ¹¹ So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.