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1 Samuel 29

The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, while the Israelites camped by the spring at Jezreel. The Philistine rulers marched past with their units of hundreds and thousands, while David and his men marched at the rear with Achish. The Philistine commanders asked: What are these Hebrews doing here? Achish answered: This is David

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David sent back

The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, while the Israelites camped by the spring at Jezreel. The Philistine rulers marched past with their units of hundreds and thousands, while David and his men marched at the rear with Achish. The Philistine commanders asked: What are these Hebrews doing here? Achish answered: This is David, servant of Saul king of Israel. He's been with me for a long time now, and I've found no fault in him from the day he came over to me until today. But the Philistine commanders were angry. Send the man back, they said. Make him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go into battle with us, or he might turn against us in the fighting. What better way could he win back his master's favour than with the heads of our men? Isn't this the David they sing about in their dances: Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands? Achish called David and said: As surely as the Lord lives, you've been straight with me. I'd be happy to have you serving with my army. I've found nothing wrong with you since the day you came to me. But the other rulers don't trust you. So head back peacefully and don't give the Philistine rulers any reason to complain. David said to Achish: What have I done? What have you found wrong with your servant all the time I've been with you, that I can't go and fight the enemies of my lord the king? Achish answered: As far as I'm concerned, you've been as good as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders have said you can't go into battle with us. So rise early tomorrow with the servants of your master who came with you. As soon as there's enough light, leave. David and his men rose early in the morning and returned to Philistine territory, while the Philistine army went up to Jezreel.

Now the Philistines gathered all their armies to Aphek. And the Israelites camped by a spring in Jezreel. And the lords of the Philistines went past by hundreds and by thousands. But David and his men went past at the rear with Achish. Then the leaders of the Philistines said: What are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines: Isn't this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who's been with me these days or these years? And I've found no fault in him since he came to me right to this day. And the leaders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the leaders of the Philistines said to him: Make this man go back, so he goes to his place that you've set him. And don't let him go down with us to battle, in case in the battle he turns against us. Because how would he make himself right with his master? Wouldn't it be with the heads of these men? Isn't this David, who they sang to each other about in dances: Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands? Then Achish called David and said to him: As surely as the Lord lives, you've been straight, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. Because I haven't found evil in you since the day you came to me right to this day. But still the lords don't like you. So now go back and go in peace, so you don't displease the lords of the Philistines. And David said to Achish: But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant as long as I've been with you right to this day, that I can't go and fight the ones against my lord the king? And Achish answered David: I know you're good in my sight, like an angel of God. But still the leaders of the Philistines have said: He won't go up with us to the battle. So get up early in the morning now, with your master's servants who've come with you. And as soon as you're up early in the morning and have light, go. So David and his men got up early to go in the morning, to go back into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 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. Then 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, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day? And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men? Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands? Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD 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 favour thee not. Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines. And David said unto Achish, But 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? And 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. Wherefore now rise up early 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. 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.

1

The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, while the Israelites camped by the spring at Jezreel.

Plain English

Now the Philistines gathered all their armies to Aphek. And the Israelites camped by a spring in Jezreel.

King James Version, 1611

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

2

The Philistine rulers marched past with their units of hundreds and thousands, while David and his men marched at the rear with Achish.

Plain English

And the lords of the Philistines went past by hundreds and by thousands. But David and his men went past at the rear with Achish.

King James Version, 1611

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

The Philistine commanders asked: What are these Hebrews doing here? Achish answered: This is David, servant of Saul king of Israel. He's been with me for a long time now, and I've found no fault in him from the day he came over to me until today.

Plain English

Then the leaders of the Philistines said: What are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines: Isn't this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who's been with me these days or these years? And I've found no fault in him since he came to me right to this day.

King James Version, 1611

Then 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, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?

4

But the Philistine commanders were angry. Send the man back, they said. Make him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go into battle with us, or he might turn against us in the fighting. What better way could he win back his master's favour than with the heads of our men?

Plain English

And the leaders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the leaders of the Philistines said to him: Make this man go back, so he goes to his place that you've set him. And don't let him go down with us to battle, in case in the battle he turns against us. Because how would he make himself right with his master? Wouldn't it be with the heads of these men?

King James Version, 1611

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

5

Isn't this the David they sing about in their dances: Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?

Plain English

Isn't this David, who they sang to each other about in dances: Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

King James Version, 1611

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

6

Achish called David and said: As surely as the Lord lives, you've been straight with me. I'd be happy to have you serving with my army. I've found nothing wrong with you since the day you came to me. But the other rulers don't trust you.

Plain English

Then Achish called David and said to him: As surely as the Lord lives, you've been straight, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. Because I haven't found evil in you since the day you came to me right to this day. But still the lords don't like you.

King James Version, 1611

Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD 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 favour thee not.

7

So head back peacefully and don't give the Philistine rulers any reason to complain.

Plain English

So now go back and go in peace, so you don't displease the lords of the Philistines.

King James Version, 1611

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

8

David said to Achish: What have I done? What have you found wrong with your servant all the time I've been with you, that I can't go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?

Plain English

And David said to Achish: But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant as long as I've been with you right to this day, that I can't go and fight the ones against my lord the king?

King James Version, 1611

And David said unto Achish, But 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

Achish answered: As far as I'm concerned, you've been as good as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders have said you can't go into battle with us.

Plain English

And Achish answered David: I know you're good in my sight, like an angel of God. But still the leaders of the Philistines have said: He won't go up with us to the battle.

King James Version, 1611

And 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.

10

So rise early tomorrow with the servants of your master who came with you. As soon as there's enough light, leave.

Plain English

So get up early in the morning now, with your master's servants who've come with you. And as soon as you're up early in the morning and have light, go.

King James Version, 1611

Wherefore now rise up early 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

David and his men rose early in the morning and returned to Philistine territory, while the Philistine army went up to Jezreel.

Plain English

So David and his men got up early to go in the morning, to go back into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

King James Version, 1611

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.