1فلسطینیها قوای خود را در افيق به حال آماده باش درآوردند و اسرائيلیها نيز كنار چشمهای كه در يزرعيل است اردو زدند.2رهبران فلسطينی صفوف سربازان خود را به حركت درآوردند. داوود و سربازانش همراه اخيش به دنبال آنها در حركت بودند.3رهبران فلسطينی پرسيدند: «اين عبرانیها در سپاه ما چه میكنند؟» اخيش به آنها جواب داد: «اين داوود است. او از افراد شائول، پادشاه اسرائيل است كه از نزد او فرار كرده و بيش از يک سال است با ما زندگی میكند. در اين مدت كوچكترين اشتباهی از او سر نزده است.»4ولی رهبران فلسطينی خشمگين شدند و به اخيش گفتند: «او را به شهری كه به او دادهای برگردان! چون ما را در جنگ ياری نخواهد كرد و از پشت به ما خنجر خواهد زد. برای اينكه رضايت اربابش را جلب نمايد چه چيز بهتر از اينكه سرهای ما را به او پيشكش كند.5اين همان داوود است كه زنان اسرائيلی برای او میرقصيدند و میسرودند: شائول هزاران نفر را كشته و داوود دهها هزار نفر را!»6پس اخيش، داوود و افرادش را احضار كرد و گفت: «به خداوند زنده قسم كه من به تو اطمينان دارم و در اين مدت كه با ما بودی هيچ بدی از تو نديدهام. من راضی هستم كه با ما به جنگ بيايی، ولی رهبران فلسطينی قبول نمیكنند.7پس خواهش میكنم ايشان را ناراحت نكنيد و بدون سر و صدا برگرديد.»8داوود گفت: «مگر در اين مدت از من چه بدی ديدهايد؟ چرا نبايد با دشمنان شما بجنگم؟»9اما اخيش گفت: «در نظر من، تو چون فرشتهٔ خدا خوب هستی ولی رهبران فلسطينی نمیخواهند تو با ما بيايی.10بنابراين فردا صبح زود بلند شو و همراه افرادت از اينجا برو.»11پس داوود و افرادش، صبح زود برخاستند تا به سرزمين فلسطين برگردند، ولی سپاه فلسطين عازم يزرعيل شد.
1Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. (يوشع 12:18; يوشع 17:16; داوران 7:1; 1سموئيل 4:1; 1سموئيل 28:1)2As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, (يوشع 13:3; 1سموئيل 28:1)3the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day.” (1سموئيل 27:7; دانيال 6:5)4But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? (1سموئيل 14:21; 1سموئيل 27:6; 1سموئيل 29:2; 1سموئيل 30:1)5Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” (1سموئيل 18:7; 1سموئيل 21:11)6Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. (1سموئيل 20:3; 2سموئيل 3:25; 2پادشاهان 19:27; مزامير 121:8; اشعيا 37:28)7So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”8And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”9And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ (يوشع 13:3; 2سموئيل 14:17; 2سموئيل 14:20; 2سموئيل 19:27)10Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light.” (1تواريخ 12:19; 1تواريخ 12:22)11So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel. (يوشع 17:16)