1 Now A1 Sam 28:1the Philistines gathered together all their armies to BJosh 12:18; 19:30; 1 Sam 4:1; 1 Kin 20:30Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in C1 Kin 21:1; 2 Kin 9:30Jezreel. 2 And the lords of the Philistines were proceeding on by hundreds and by thousands, and A1 Sam 28:1, 2David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish. 3 Then 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 the king of Israel, A1 Sam 27:7who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and B1 Sam 27:1-6; 1 Chr 12:19, 20; Dan 6:5I have found no fault in him from the day he 1Lit felldeserted to me to this day?” 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man go back, that he may return A1 Sam 27:6to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, B1 Sam 14:21or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of 1Lit thosethese men? 5  “Is this not David, A1 Sam 18:7; 21:11of whom they sing in the dances, saying,

6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Loʀᴅ lives, you have been upright, and A2 Sam 3:25; 2 Kin 19:27; Is 37:28your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; B1 Sam 27:8-12; 29:3for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords. 7  “Now therefore return and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8 David said to Achish, “A1 Sam 27:10-12But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day when I came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 But Achish replied to David, “I know that you are pleasing in my sight, A2 Sam 14:17, 20; 19:27like an angel of God; nevertheless B1 Sam 29:4the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us to the battle.’ 10  “Now then arise early in the morning A1 Chr 12:19, 22with the servants of your lord who have come with you, and as soon as you have arisen early in the morning and have light, depart.” 11 So David arose early, he and his men, to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.