The Philistines Reject David

1  וַיִּקְבְּצ֧וּ (And gathered together) פְלִשְׁתִּ֛ים (the Philistines) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) מַחֲנֵיהֶ֖ם (their camps) אֲפֵ֑קָה (to Aphek), וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל (and Israel) חֹנִ֔ים (encamped) בַּעַ֖יִן (by the fountain) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) בְּיִזְרְעֶֽאל׃ (is in Jezreel). 2  וְסַרְנֵ֤י (And the princes) פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ (of the Philistines) עֹֽבְרִ֔ים (were passing over) לְמֵא֖וֹת (by hundreds) וְלַאֲלָפִ֑ים (and by thousands), וְדָוִ֣ד (and David) וַאֲנָשָׁ֗יו (and his men) עֹֽבְרִ֛ים (were passing over) בָּאַחֲרֹנָ֖ה (at the rear) עִם־ (with) אָכִֽישׁ׃ (Achish).

3  וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (And said) שָׂרֵ֣י (the princes) פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (of the Philistines), מָ֖ה (What) הָעִבְרִ֣ים (Hebrews) הָאֵ֑לֶּה (are these)?

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (And said) אָכִ֜ישׁ (Achish) אֶל־ (to) שָׂרֵ֣י (the princes) פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים (of the Philistines), הֲלֽוֹא־ (Is not) זֶ֨ה (this) דָוִ֜ד (David), עֶ֣בֶד׀ (the servant) שָׁא֣וּל (of Saul) מֶֽלֶךְ־ (king) יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (of Israel), אֲשֶׁ֨ר (who) הָיָ֤ה (has been) אִתִּי֙ (with me) זֶ֤ה (these) יָמִים֙ (days), אוֹ־ (even) זֶ֣ה (these) שָׁנִ֔ים (years)? וְלֹֽא־ (And not) מָצָ֤אתִי (I have found) בוֹ֙ (in him) מְא֔וּמָה (anything) מִיּ֥וֹם (from the day) נָפְל֖וֹ (of his falling) עַד־ (up to) הַיּ֥וֹם (the day) הַזֶּֽה׃פ (this).

4  וַיִּקְצְפ֨וּ (And were angry) עָלָ֜יו (with him) שָׂרֵ֣י (the princes) פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים (of the Philistines). וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ (And said) לוֹ֩ (to him) שָׂרֵ֨י (the princes) פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים (of the Philistines), הָשֵׁ֣ב (Make return) אֶת־ (-) הָאִ֗ישׁ (this fellow) וְיָשֹׁב֙ (that he may go back) אֶל־ (to) מְקוֹמוֹ֙ (the place) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) הִפְקַדְתּ֣וֹ (you assigned him) שָׁ֔ם (there), וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יֵרֵ֤ד (do let him go down) עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ (with us) בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה (to the battle), וְלֹא־ (and not) יִֽהְיֶה־ (he become) לָּ֥נוּ (our) לְשָׂטָ֖ן (adversary) בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה (in the battle). וּבַמֶּ֗ה (For by what) יִתְרַצֶּ֥ה (shall make himself acceptable) זֶה֙ (this one) אֶל־ (to) אֲדֹנָ֔יו (his master), הֲל֕וֹא (if not) בְּרָאשֵׁ֖י (by the heads) הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים (of the men) הָהֵֽם׃ (those)? 5  הֲלוֹא־ (Is not) זֶ֣ה (this) דָוִ֔ד (David), אֲשֶׁ֧ר (whom) יַעֲנוּ־ (they sang) ל֛וֹ (of him) בַּמְּחֹל֖וֹת (in the dances), לֵאמֹ֑ר (saying),

הִכָּ֤ה (Has slain) שָׁאוּל֙ (Saul) בַּֽאֲלָפָ֔יו (his thousands),

וְדָוִ֖ד (and David) בְּרִבְבֹתוֹ׃ס (his myriads)’

6  וַיִּקְרָ֨א (and called) אָכִ֜ישׁ (Achish) אֶל־ (to) דָּוִ֗ד (David) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (and said) אֵ֠לָיו (to him), חַי־ (As lives) יְהוָ֞ה (YHWH), כִּי־ (surely) יָשָׁ֣ר (have been upright) אַתָּ֗ה (you) וְט֣וֹב (and good) בְּ֠עֵינַי (in my eyes) צֵאתְךָ֨ (is your going out) וּבֹאֲךָ֤ (and your coming in) אִתִּי֙ (with me) בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה (in the caamp). כִּ֠י (For) לֹֽא־ (not) מָצָ֤אתִֽי (I have found) בְךָ֙ (in you) רָעָ֔ה (evil) מִיּ֛וֹם (since the day) בֹּאֲךָ֥ (of your coming) אֵלַ֖י (to me) עַד־ (until) הַיּ֣וֹם (the day) הַזֶּ֑ה (this). וּבְעֵינֵ֥י (And in the eyes) הַסְּרָנִ֖ים (the princes) לֹֽא־ (is no) ט֥וֹב (favor) אָֽתָּה׃ (of you). 7  וְעַתָּ֥ה (And now) שׁ֖וּב (return) וְלֵ֣ךְ (and go) בְּשָׁל֑וֹם (in peace), וְלֹֽא־ (that not) תַעֲשֶׂ֣ה (you do) רָ֔ע (evil) בְּעֵינֵ֖י (in the eyes) סַרְנֵ֥י (of the princes) פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ס (of the Philistines).

8  וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (And said) דָּוִ֜ד (David) אֶל־ (to) אָכִ֗ישׁ (Achish), כִּ֣י (But) מֶ֤ה (what) עָשִׂ֙יתִי֙ (have I done)? וּמַה־ (And what) מָּצָ֣אתָ (have you found) בְעַבְדְּךָ֔ (in your servant) מִיּוֹם֙ (as long) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (as) הָיִ֣יתִי (I have been) לְפָנֶ֔יךָ (with you) עַ֖ד (to) הַיּ֣וֹם (the day) הַזֶּ֑ה (this), כִּ֣י (that) לֹ֤א (not) אָבוֹא֙ (I may go) וְנִלְחַ֔מְתִּי (and fight) בְּאֹיְבֵ֖י (against the enemies) אֲדֹנִ֥י (of my lord) הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (the king)?

9  וַיַּ֣עַן (And answered) אָכִישׁ֮ (Achish) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (and said) אֶל־ (to) דָּוִד֒ (David), יָדַ֕עְתִּי (I know) כִּ֣י (that) ט֥וֹב (as pleasing) אַתָּ֛ה (you are) בְּעֵינַ֖י (in my sight) כְּמַלְאַ֣ךְ (as an angel) אֱלֹהִ֑ים (of God). אַ֣ךְ (Nevertheless) שָׂרֵ֤י (the princes) פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ (of the Philistines) אָֽמְר֔וּ (have said), לֹֽא־ (Not) יַעֲלֶ֥ה (he shall go up) עִמָּ֖נוּ (with us) בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ (to the battle). 10  וְעַתָּה֙ (And now) הַשְׁכֵּ֣ם (rise early) בַּבֹּ֔קֶר (in the morning) וְעַבְדֵ֥י (and with servants) אֲדֹנֶ֖יךָ (of your master) אֲשֶׁר־ (who) בָּ֣אוּ (have come) אִתָּ֑ךְ (with you), וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּ֣ם (when you⁺ have risen early) בַּבֹּ֔קֶר (in the morning) וְא֥וֹר (and have light) לָכֶ֖ם (for it) וָלֵֽכוּ׃ (then depart).

11  וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם (And rose early) דָּוִ֜ד (David), ה֤וּא (he) וַֽאֲנָשָׁיו֙ (and his men), לָלֶ֣כֶת (to depart) בַּבֹּ֔קֶר (in the morning) לָשׁ֖וּב (to return) אֶל־ (to) אֶ֣רֶץ (the land) פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (of the Philistines). וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים (And the Philistines) עָל֥וּ (went up) יִזְרְעֶֽאל׃ס (to Jezreel).