Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag

29 The Philistines gatheredg all their forces at Aphek,h and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.i 2 As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rearj with Achish. 3 The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”

Achish replied, “Is this not David,k who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year,l and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Sendm the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turnn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? 5 Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:

“ ‘Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands’?”o

6 So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the dayp you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulersq don’t approve of you. 7 Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”

8 “But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

9 Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angelr of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanderss have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ 10 Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leavet in the morning as soon as it is light.”

11 So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David Destroys the Amalekites

30 David and his men reached Ziklagu on the third day. Now the Amalekitesv had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burnedw it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.x 4 So David and his men wepty aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wivesz had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoninga him; each one was bitterb in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strengthc in the Lord his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathard the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.e” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquiredf of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeedg in the rescue.h”

9 David and the six hundred meni with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhaustedj to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.