1 Samuel 29

Wycliffe Bible

29 Therefore all the companies of the Philistines were gathered in Aphek, but also Israel setted tents above the well that was in Jezreel. (And so all the companies of the Philistines were gathered together at Aphek, and Israel pitched their tents by the well that was in Jezreel.)

² And soothly the princes of the Philistines went in companies of an hundred, and in thousands; but David and his men were in the last company with Achish. (And the princes of the Philistines led out their companies in units of a hundred, and of a thousand; and David and his men were in the last group with Achish.)

³ And the princes of Philistines said to Achish, What will these Hebrews to themselves? And Achish said to the princes of Philistines, Whether ye know not David, that was the servant of Saul, king of Israel? and he was with me many days, either years, and I found not in him anything of imagining to evil, from the day in which he fled to me unto this day. (And the princes of the Philistines said to Achish, What be these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said to the Philistine princes, Do ye not know David, who was the servant of Saul, the king of Israel? he hath been with me for many years, and I have found nothing of evil in him, from the day in which he fled to me until this day.)

⁴ Certainly the princes of (the) Philistines were wroth against Achish, and they said to him, (Have) The man turn again, and abide he in his place, in which thou hast ordained him, and come he not down with us into battle, lest he be made (an) adversary to us, when we have begun to fight; for how may he please his lord in other manner, but in our heads? (for how can he please his lord in any other manner, but than with our heads?)

⁵ Whether this is not David, to whom they sang in dances, and said, Saul smote in [his] thousands, and David smote in his ten thousands? (Is this not David, whom they sang about as they danced, and said, Saul struck down thousands, but David struck down tens of thousands?)

⁶ Therefore Achish called David, and said to him, (As) The Lord liveth; for thou art rightful (for thou art upright), and good in my sight, and thy going out and thy coming in is with me in [the] tents, and I have not found in thee anything of evil, from the day in which thou camest to me till to this day; but thou pleasest not the princes, or satraps.

⁷ Therefore turn thou again, and go in peace (And so return thou, and go home in peace), and offend thou not the eyes of the princes, or satraps, of the Philistines.

⁸ And David said to Achish, And what have I done, and what hast thou found in me thy servant, from the day in which I was (first) in thy sight till into this day, that I come not, and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

⁹ And Achish answered, and spake to David, (and said,) I know that thou art good, and (be) as the angel of God in my eyes; but the princes of Philistines said, He shall not go up with us into battle.

¹⁰ Therefore rise thou up early, thou, and thy servants that came with thee; and when ye have risen by night, and it beginneth to be clear day, go ye forth. (And so rise thou up early, thou, and thy servants who came with thee; and when ye have risen in the night, and it beginneth to be clear daylight, then go ye forth.)

¹¹ Therefore David rose up by night, he and his men, that they should go forth early, and turn again to the land of Philistines; but the Philistines went up into Jezreel. (And so David and his men rose up in the night, so that they could go forth early, and return to the land of the Philistines; and the Philistines went on to Jezreel.)