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Philistines gathered all their armies together at Aphek, while the Israelites camped by the spring in Jezreel. 2 As the Philistines leaders marched their units out by hundreds and by thousands, David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish. 3 Then the Philistine commanders asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”
Achish replied, “Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul, the king of Israel? He has already been with me for more than a year now? From the time he defected to me to this day, I have found no fault in him.”
4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with him, and they said, “Send that man back, that he may return to the place you assigned to him. He must not go down with us to battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting and become an adversary to us. How else can this man make himself acceptable to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of these men here? 5 Isn’t this the David they sing about in their dances:
‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands’?”
6 So Achish summoned David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been trustworthy, and I would like to have you serve under me in the army. Since the day you joined me until now I have found no fault in you, but the other leaders don’t trust you 7 So turn back now and go in peace; don’t do anything to displease the other leaders.”
8 David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What fault have you found in your servant since the first day I came to you until this very day? Why then can I not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 Achish answered David, “I know; you are blameless in my sight, like an angel of God. Nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go up with us to the battle’. 10 So get up early in the morning, along with your master’s servants who came with you, and leave as soon as it is light.”
11 So David and his men got up early in the morning sto return to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.