² As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish,^(A)

28 In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You know, of course, that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.”^{(A) 2} David said to Achish, “Very well, then you shall know what your servant can do.” Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign, for I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me until today. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you.^{(A) 7} So go back now, and go peaceably; do nothing to displease the lords of the Philistines.”

³ (from the Shihor, which is near Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is reckoned as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim^(A)

⁴ And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall send to him?” They answered, “Five gold tumors and five gold mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was upon all of you and upon your lords.^(A)

⁸ So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” The inhabitants of Gath replied, “Let the ark of God be moved on to us.”^[a] So they moved the ark of the God of Israel to Gath.^{[b](A) 9} But after they had brought it to Gath,^[c] the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic; he struck the inhabitants of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them.^{(B) 10} So they sent the ark of the God of Israel^[d] to Ekron. But when the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “Why^[e] have they brought around to us^[f] the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our^[g] people?” ¹¹ They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our^[h] people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there;^(C)