1Now the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the fountain which is in Jezreel . 2And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds , and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish. 3Then said the princes of the Philistines , What do these Hebrews here ? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines , Is not this David , the servant of Saul the king of Israel , who hath been with me these days , or rather these years , and I have found no fault in him since he fell away unto me unto this day ? 4But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him ; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him , Make the man return , that he may go back to his place where thou hast appointed him , and let him not go down with us to battle , lest in the battle he become an adversary to us : for wherewith should this fellow reconcile himself unto his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men ? 5Is not this David , of whom they sang one to another in dances , saying, Saul hath slain his thousands , And David his ten thousands ?
The Leaders' Concerns
6Then Achish called David , and said unto him , As Jehovah liveth , thou hast been upright , and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight ; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day : nevertheless the lords favor thee not . 7Wherefore now return , and go in peace , that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines . 8And David said unto Achish, But what have I done ? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day , that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king ? 9And Achish answered and said to David , I know that thou art good in my sight , as an angel of God : notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said , He shall not go up with us to the battle . 10Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of thy lord that are come with thee ; and as soon as ye are up early in the morning , and have light, depart . 11So David rose up early , he and his men, to depart in the morning , to return into the land of the Philistines . And the Philistines went up to Jezreel .