De andre filisterkonger vil ikke have David med i krigen
1Mens israelitterne lå i lejr oppe ved Jizre’elflodens kilde, havde filistrene mønstret deres samlede hær ved byen Afek.[1]2De fem filisterkonger var troppet op med hver deres hærstyrker, og David og hans mænd var fulgt med i bagtroppen af kong Akish’ hær.3Da de fire andre filisterkonger så David og hans mænd, sagde de til Akish: „Hvad laver de hebræere her?” Han svarede: „Det er David, som i sin tid flygtede fra kong Saul i Israel. Han har været i min tjeneste i årevis, og jeg har aldrig haft noget at udsætte på ham.”4„Send den mand hjem til den by, du har givet ham at bo i,” forlangte de øvrige konger. „Hvis han deltager i krigen, kan vi risikere, at han falder os i ryggen. Her får han jo en perfekt anledning til at genvinde Sauls tillid.5Det er trods alt den selv samme mand, som Israels kvinder hyldede med ordene: ‚Saul har besejret sine tusinder, men David har besejret sine titusinder.’ ”6Så kaldte Akish på David og hans mænd og sagde: „Jeg sværger ved den levende Gud, at jeg sætter pris på den loyalitet, I har udvist,” sagde han. „Hvis det stod til mig, ville I få lov til at følge med os i kamp. Men de andre konger siger nej.7Gå nu stille og roligt tilbage til jeres by, så vi ikke rager uklar med de andre konger.”8„Jamen, hvad har jeg gjort?” udbrød David. „Har jeg ikke altid været loyal over for dig? Hvorfor må jeg ikke få lov til at kæmpe mod min herres fjender?”9„I mine øjne er du som sendt af Gud,” forsikrede kong Akish David, „men det ændrer ikke ved den kendsgerning, at de andre ikke vil have dig med.10Gør nu, som jeg siger, og tag hjem i morgen ved daggry.”11Tidligt næste morgen vendte David og hans mænd så tilbage til filistrenes land, mens hæren drog videre i retning af Jizre’eldalen.
1. Samuel 29
King James Version
1Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.2And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.3Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here ? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?4And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?5Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?6Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.7Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.8And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?9And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.10Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master' servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.11So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.