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David Is Sent Back to Ziklag

¹ Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek. The Israelites were staying by the well in Jezreel. ² The leaders of the Philistines were moving toward them with their hundreds and their thousands. And David and his men were moving behind them with Achish. ³ Then the captains of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish said to the captains of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years? I have found nothing wrong in him since the day he left to come to me." ⁴ But the Philistine captains were angry with him. They said to him, "Make the man return. Have him go again to his place which you have given him. Do not let him go down to battle with us. He might fight against us in the battle. For how could this man make his lord receive him again? Would it not be with the heads of these men? ⁵ Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" ⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the Lord lives, you have been honest. You go out and come in with me in the army and it is good in my eyes. I have found nothing wrong in you from the day you came to me until this day. But you are not pleasing in the eyes of the leaders. ⁷ So now return. Go in peace, that you may not make the Philistine leaders angry." ⁸ David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I came to you until now, that I may not go and fight against those who hate my lord the king?" ⁹ Achish answered David, "I know that you are pleasing in my eyes, like an angel of God. But the captains of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go with us to the battle.' ¹⁰ Now get up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you. Leave as soon as you are up and have light." ¹¹ So David and his men left early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.