Chapter 29
1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek; and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel .
2 The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish.
3 Then the princes of the Philistines said, " What about these Hebrews ?" Achish said to the princes of the Philistines , "Isn’t this David , the servant of Saul the king of Israel , who has been with me these days , or rather these years ? I have found no fault in him since he fell away until today ."
4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him ; and the princes of the Philistines said to him , " Make the man return , that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him , and let him not go down with us to battle , lest in the battle he become an adversary to us . For with what should this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men ?
5 Isn’t this David , of whom people sang to one another in dances , saying, ‘ Saul has slain his thousands , and David his ten thousands ’?"
6 Then Achish called David and said to him , " As the LORD lives , you have been upright , and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight ; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day . Nevertheless , the lords don’t favour you .
7 Therefore now return , and go in peace , that you not displease the lords of the Philistines ."
8 David said to Achish, " But what have I done ? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day , that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king ?"
9 Achish answered David , " I know that you are 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 .’
10 Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you ; and as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart ."
11 So 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 .