1 The Philistines gathered all their armies at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.

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 with their units of hundreds and thousands, and David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish.

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 replied to the Philistine commanders, "Isn't this David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me for days or years? I have found no fault in him from the day he defected to me until now."

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 with him and said to him, "Send the man back! Let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he might become our adversary during the fighting. How better to regain his master's favor than with the heads of our men?

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 sang about in their dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?

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

6 So Achish called David and said to him, "As surely as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your conduct with me in the camp has been good in my eyes. I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until today. But the rulers don’t approve of you.

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 Now turn back and go in peace, so you don’t displease the Philistine rulers.

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

8 David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I first came to you until now, that I may not go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?"

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 David, "I know that you are as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, 'He must not go up with us into battle.'

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 Now get up early in the morning, along with your master's servants who have come with you, and leave as soon as it is light.

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

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.