THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,

1 Samuel 29 ©

The princes of the Philistines will not suffer David to be in the camp, though Achish plead for him, v. 3, etc. The princes give reason why they will not permit David to be with them, 4. Achish causes David to return, though sore against his will, 6. David would rather have stayed with Achish, 8. But he commands him the second time to depart, 10. Which David does, 11.

1

NOW the Philistines gathered together all their armies to 1Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in 2Jezreel.

2

And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.

3

Then said the princes of the Philistines, 3What 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, which hath been with me these days, or 4these years, and I have found 5no fault in him since he 6fell unto me unto this day?

4

And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Makea this fellow 7return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, 8lest in the battle he be 9an adversary to us: for wherewith should he 10reconcile himself unto his master? 11should it not be with the heads of these men?

5

Is not this David, of whom they sang oneb to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

6

¶Then Achish called David, and said unto him, 12Surely, as the LORD liveth, 13thou hast been upright, and 14thy 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 15favour thee not.

7

Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.

8

¶And David said unto Achish, 16But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

9

And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art 17good in my sight, as 18an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

10

Wherefore now rise up 19early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.

11

So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.