1 Samuel 29

Now the Philistines gathered together all their forces to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the spring in Jezreel. 2The lords of the Philistines marched by hundreds, and by thousands; and Dawud and his men marched in the rear with Achish. 3Then the princes of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing here? Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, Isn't this Dawud, the servant of Talut the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away to me to this day? 4But 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 enemy to us: for with what should this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men? 5Is not this Dawud, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Talut has slain his thousands, Dawud his tens of thousands? 6Then Achish called Dawud, and said to him, As Allah 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 do not favour you. 7Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines. 8Dawud 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? 9Achish answered Dawud, 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. 10Therefore 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. 11So Dawud rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.


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