¹ The Philistines mustered all their forces at Aphek while the Israelites pitched camp near the spring in Jezreel.

² The Philistine commanders marched past with their hundreds and their thousands, and David and his men brought up the rear with Achish.

³ The Philistine chiefs asked, 'What are these Hebrews doing?' Achish replied to them, 'Why, this is David the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me for the last year or two. I have had no fault to find with him from the day he gave himself up to me until the present time.'

⁴ But the Philistine chiefs were angry with him. 'Send the man back,' they said, 'make him go back to the place which you assigned to him. He cannot go into battle with us, in case he turns on us once battle is joined. Would there be a better way for the man to regain his master's favour than with the heads of these men here?

⁵ Is not this the David of whom they sang as they danced: Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?

⁶ So Achish called David and said, 'As Yahweh lives, you are loyal, and I am quite content with all your doings in our campaigning together, since I have found no fault with you from the day you came to me until the present time. But you are not acceptable to the chiefs.

⁷ So go home, in peace, rather than antagonise them.'

⁸ 'But what have I done,' David asked Achish, 'what fault have you had to find with your servant from the day I entered your service to the present time, for me not to be allowed to go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?'

⁹ In reply, Achish said to David, 'In my opinion, it is true, you are as good as an angel of God; but the Philistine chiefs have said, "He must not go into battle with us."

¹⁰ So get up early tomorrow morning, with your master's servants who came with you, and go to the place which I assigned to you. Do not harbour resentment, since personally I have no fault to find with you. Get up early tomorrow morning and, as soon as it is light, be off.'

¹¹ So David and his men got up early to leave at dawn and go back to Philistine territory. And the Philistines marched on Jezreel.