1Now the P’lishtim gathered together all their hosts to Afekah; and Yisra’el pitched by the fountain which is in Yizreil. 2And the officers of the P’lishtim passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Akhish. 3Then said the princes of the P’lishtim, “What are these Ivrim doing here?” And Akhish said unto the princes of the P’lishtim, “Is not this David, the servant of Sha’ul Melekh Yisra’el, who has been with me these days or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away unto me unto this day?”
4But the princes of the P’lishtim were wroth with him; and the princes of the P’lishtim said unto 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 why should this fellow reconcile himself unto his Adon? Should it not be with the heads of these men? 5Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, ‘Sha’ul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
6Then Akhish called David, and said unto him, “As יהוה 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 have not found evil in you since the day of your coming unto me unto this day; nevertheless, the officers do not favor you. 7So now return, and go in shalom, that you displease not the officers of the P’lishtim.”
8And David said unto Akhish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my Adon HaMelekh?” 9And Akhish answered and said to David, “I know that you are good in my sight, as a messenger of Elohim; however, the princes of the P’lishtim have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle’. 10So now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your Adon that have come with you; and as soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart.” 11So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the P’lishtim. And the P’lishtim went up to Yizreil.
אוַיִּקְבְּצוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת כָּל מַחֲנֵיהֶם אֲפֵקָה; וְיִשְׂרָאֵל חֹנִים בַּעַיִן אֲשֶׁר בְּיִזְרְעֶאל. בוְסַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים עֹבְרִים לְמֵאוֹת וְלַאֲלָפִים; וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו עֹבְרִים בָּאַחֲרֹנָה עִם אָכִישׁ. גוַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים מָה הָעִבְרִים הָאֵלֶּה; וַיֹּאמֶר אָכִישׁ אֶל שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הֲלוֹא זֶה דָוִד עֶבֶד שָׁאוּל מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אִתִּי זֶה יָמִים אוֹ זֶה שָׁנִים וְלֹא מָצָאתִי בוֹ מְאוּמָה מִיּוֹם נָפְלוֹ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.
דוַיִּקְצְפוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הָשֵׁב אֶת הָאִישׁ וְיָשֹׁב אֶל מְקוֹמוֹ אֲשֶׁר הִפְקַדְתּוֹ שָׁם וְלֹא יֵרֵד עִמָּנוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לָּנוּ לְשָׂטָן בַּמִּלְחָמָה; וּבַמֶּה יִתְרַצֶּה זֶה אֶל אֲדֹנָיו הֲלוֹא בְּרָאשֵׁי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָהֵם. ההֲלוֹא זֶה דָוִד אֲשֶׁר יַעֲנוּ לוֹ בַּמְּחֹלוֹת לֵאמֹר: הִכָּה שָׁאוּל בַּאֲלָפָיו וְדָוִד בְּרִבְבֹתָו.
ווַיִּקְרָא אָכִישׁ אֶל דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו חַי יהוה כִּי יָשָׁר אַתָּה וְטוֹב בְּעֵינַי צֵאתְךָ וּבֹאֲךָ אִתִּי בַּמַּחֲנֶה כִּי לֹא מָצָאתִי בְךָ רָעָה מִיּוֹם בֹּאֲךָ אֵלַי עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה; וּבְעֵינֵי הַסְּרָנִים לֹא טוֹב אָתָּה. זוְעַתָּה שׁוּב וְלֵךְ בְּשָׁלוֹם; וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה רָע בְּעֵינֵי סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים.
חוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל אָכִישׁ כִּי מֶה עָשִׂיתִי וּמַה מָּצָאתָ בְעַבְדְּךָ מִיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי לְפָנֶיךָ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה: כִּי לֹא אָבוֹא וְנִלְחַמְתִּי בְּאֹיְבֵי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ. טוַיַּעַן אָכִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל דָּוִד יָדַעְתִּי כִּי טוֹב אַתָּה בְּעֵינַי כְּמַלְאַךְ אֱלֹהִים; אַךְ שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים אָמְרוּ לֹא יַעֲלֶה עִמָּנוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה. יוְעַתָּה הַשְׁכֵּם בַּבֹּקֶר וְעַבְדֵי אֲדֹנֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ אִתָּךְ; וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּם בַּבֹּקֶר וְאוֹר לָכֶם וָלֵכוּ. יאוַיַּשְׁכֵּם דָּוִד הוּא וַאֲנָשָׁיו לָלֶכֶת בַּבֹּקֶר לָשׁוּב אֶל אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים; וּפְלִשְׁתִּים עָלוּ יִזְרְעֶאל.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 