1Now the Philistines gathered all their armies together at Aphek. The Israelites camped by a spring which is in Jezreel.
2The lords of the Philistines marched past in groups of hundreds and of thousands. David and his men marched at the back with Achish.
3Then the leaders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel? He has been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he came over to me until now."
4But the leaders of the Philistines were angry with him. They said to him, "Send this fellow back. Let him go again to the place you gave him. He must not go down with us to the battle, or in the battle he may turn against us. How could he make peace with his master? Would it not be with the heads of these men of ours?"
5"Is this not David, the one they sang about to each other in their dances, saying, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"
6Then Achish called David and said to him, "As surely as the LORD lives, you have been honest. It seems good to me that you should go out and come in with me in the army, for I have found no evil in you from the day you came to me until now. But the lords do not favour you."
7"So now go back, and go in peace. Do nothing to displease the lords of the Philistines."
8And David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found against your servant, from the day I came to you until now, so that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
9Achish answered David, "I know that you are good in my sight, like an angel of God. But the leaders of the Philistines have said, 'He must not go up with us to the battle.'"
10"So get up early in the morning with your master's servants who have come with you. Get up early in the morning, and leave as soon as it is light."