1 O exército filisteu concentrou-se em Afeque, os israelitas nas fontes de Jezreel.
2 Na altura em que os filisteus organizavam as suas tropas em batalhões e companhias, David e os seus puseram-se na retaguarda, com o rei Aquis.
3 Mas os comandantes filisteus perguntaram: Que estão estes israelitas aqui a fazer? Este é David, o servo do rei Saul que fugiu de Israel. Já há muito tempo que está comigo e não encontrei nele nada de culpável, desde que cá chegou, foi a resposta de Aquis.
4 Manda essa gente embora!, pediram-lhe, zangados. É evidente que não irão à batalha connosco - voltar-se-iam contra nós; haveria melhor maneira, para eles, de se reconciliarem com o seu Senhor do que nos trairem durante a luta? Não te esqueças que este é o homem de quem as mulheres israelitas diziam a dançar, 'Saul matou mil, mas David dez mil!'
6 Aquis acedeu por fim, e chamando David mais os companheiros: Juro pelo Senhor, que vocês são os melhores homens que eu já tive, e a minha vontade é que viessem lutar connosco; mas os meus chefes militares não pensam assim. Por favor, não os irritem e vão-se embora sossegadamente.
8 Que fizemos nós para merecer este tratamento?, perguntou David. Porque não posso eu combater os vossos inimigos?
9 No que me diz respeito, insistiu Aquis, tu és tão recto como um anjo de Deus. Mas é que os meus comandantes militares receiam ter-vos com eles durante a batalha. Por isso, levantem-se cedo e vão-se embora logo que amanheça.
11 Então David voltou para a terra dos filisteus, enquanto o exército deles se dirigia para Jezreel.
1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the fountain which is in Jezreel.
2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.
3 Then the princes of the Philistines said, What [are] these Hebrews [doing here]? And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, Isn't this David, the slave of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or [rather] these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away [to me] to this day?
4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us: for how should this [fellow] reconcile himself to his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men?
5 Isn't this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands?
6 Then Achish called David, and said to him, As Yahweh lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I haven't found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day: nevertheless the lords don't favor you.
7 Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you do not displease the lords of the Philistines.
8 And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your slave so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He will not go up with us to the battle.
10 Therefore, rise up early in the morning with the slaves of your lord that came with you, and go to the town that I gave you{+}. And don't take the complaint to heart, because you are good in my sight. And as soon as you{+} are up early in the morning, and have light, depart.
11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.