The Philistines Reject David 1 UST The Philistine army assembled at a place that people called Aphek. The Israelites set up their tents{ nearby} around a spring in the city of Jezreel. BSB BSB: Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
2 UST To get to Aphek, the Philistine soldiers marched in groups of 100 soldiers that were parts of larger groups of 1, 000 soldiers. The rulers of the Philistines commanded the entire army. David and his men marched at the end of the army with King Achish. BSB BSB: As the Philistine leaders marched out with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched behind them with Achish.
3 UST But{ on the way to the battlefield} the Philistine rulers asked,“These Hebrews should not be here, marching with us to battle!” Achish replied,“Their leader is David. He previously served King Saul of Israel, but now he has been living near me for more than a year. During all the time since he left Saul, he has been completely loyal to me.” BSB BSB: Then the commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, the servant of King Saul of Israel? He has been with me all these days, even years, and from the day he defected until today I have found no fault in him.”
4 UST But the Philistine rulers became angry with Achish. They said to him,“You must send David and his men back to the city that you gave him! We do not want him to go with us into the battle. If he goes with us, we will have an enemy within our own army! He would make Saul happy with him again by killing our own soldiers! BSB BSB: But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the war. What better way for him to regain the favor of his master than with the heads of our men?
5 UST Do not forget that David is the one about whom the Israelite women sing as they dance. They sing,‘Saul has killed thousands of our enemies, but David has killed tens of thousands of them!’” BSB BSB: Is this not the David about whom they sing in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
6 UST So Achish summoned David, and said to him,“I swear by Yahweh that I know I can trust you. I would like very much for you to fight with me in the army. Since the day that you came to me, you have been completely loyal to me. But the other rulers do not trust you. BSB BSB: So Achish summoned David and told him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and it seems right in my sight that you should march in and out with me in the army, because I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until this day. But you are not good in the sight of the leaders.
7 UST So you and your men must go back home. I am not sending you away as an enemy, but as a friend. But the other rulers of the Philistines do not want you to remain with the army.” BSB BSB: Therefore turn back now and go in peace, so that you will not do anything to displease the leaders of the Philistines.”
8 UST David replied,“But I have not done anything wrong! Since the time I first came to you until now, I have always been completely loyal to you. So you should allow me to come with you and fight against your enemies!” BSB BSB: “But what have I done?” David replied. “What have you found against your servant, from the day I came to you until today, to keep me from going along to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 UST Achish replied,“I know I can trust you as much as I would trust an angel from God. But the Philistine commanders have said,‘We will not allow David and his men to go with us into the battle.’ BSB BSB: Achish replied, “I know that you are as pleasing in my sight as an angel of God. But the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’
10 UST So you and the other Israelite men who came to me with you must leave early tomorrow morning. Get up as soon as it becomes light and leave.” BSB BSB: Now then, get up early in the morning, along with your master’s servants who came with you, and go as soon as it is light.”
11 UST So David and his men got up early the following morning and returned to the area where the Philistine people lived. But the Philistine army marched on towards the city of Jezreel. BSB BSB: So David and his men got up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.