KJ3 Literal Translation
1 Samuel 29
David marches with the Philistines. He is disallowed by their rulers. Achish dismisses him with commendations of his fidelity.
1And the Philistines gathered all their armies to Aphek. And Israel was camped at a fountain which is in Jezreel.
2And the Philistine rulers were passing on by hundreds and by thousands. And David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish.
3And the leaders of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews? And Achish said to the Philistine leaders, Is this not David the servant of Saul the king of Israel who has been with me these days and years? And I have not found anything evil in him from the day he fell away until today.
4And the Philistine leaders were angry against him. And the Philistine leaders said to him, Send the man back, and he shall return to his place there where you have appointed him. And he shall not go down with us into battle, and shall not become an adversary to us in battle. And with what should this one give pleasure to his master, if not with the heads of these men?
5Is this not David, of whom they answer in dances, saying, Saul has killed his thousands, and David his myriads?
6And Achish called David and said to him, As Jehovah lives, surely you are an upright and a good one in my eyes in your going out and in your coming in with me in the camp. For I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming in to me until today; but you are not a good one in the eyes of the rulers.
7And now return, and go in peace, that you not do evil in the eyes of the rulers of the Philistines.
8And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day that I have been before until today, that I may not go in and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
9And Achish answered and said to David, I have known that you are a good one in my eyes, like an angel of God, yet the leaders of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us into battle.
10And now, you and the servants of your lord who have come with you, you rise early in the morning, and light is to you, then go.
11And David rose up early, he and his men, to go in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
Read 1 Samuel 29 in the interactive reader with the Hebrew and Greek side by side, audio narration, and the TWOT dictionary.
Open in the reader