1 Samuel 29 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

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

The Philistine rulers marched past with their units of hundreds and thousands, and David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish.

The Philistine commanders said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish told them, "This is David, who served Saul the king of Israel. He's been with me for over a year now, and I haven't found a single thing wrong with him since the day he defected to me."

But the Philistine commanders were furious with Achish. "Send this man back!" they said. "Make him go back to the place you assigned him. He is not going into battle with us — what if he turns on us during the fighting? What better way to win back his master's favor than with the heads of our own men?"

"Isn't this the David they sang about in their dances? 'Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.'"

So Achish called David over and said to him, "As surely as Yahweh lives, you have been straight with me. Having you march with me in this campaign has been good in my eyes. I haven't found anything wrong with you from the day you came to me until now. But the other rulers don't trust you."

"So head back now. Go in peace, and don't do anything that the Philistine rulers would see as wrong."

David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found against your servant from the day I entered your service until now? Why can't I go and fight against the enemies of my master the king?"

Achish answered David, "I know — you've been as good in my eyes as a messenger of God. But the Philistine commanders have said, 'He must not go up with us into battle.'"

"So get up early tomorrow morning — you and your master's servants who came with you — and leave at first light."

So David and his men got up early in the morning to head back to Philistine territory, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.