¶ Dauid goying with kyng Achis to fyght agaynst Saul is sent agayne by the meanes of the Lordes of the Philistines.
CAPI. XXIX.
[ A] THe Philistines gathered al theyr hostes togither vnto Aphek / and Israel pitched by a fountayn in Iezrahel. And the lor∣des of the Philistines wēt forth by hundredes and by thousandes. But Dauid and his men came behynde with Achis. Then sayd the lor∣des of the Philistines: what wyl yonder He∣brues? And Achis said vnto the lordes of the Philistines. Is not this Dauid the seruaunt of Saul the king of Israel, which hath ben with me dayes or yeres, and I haue found no fault [ B] in him sithens he fled vnto me vnto this daye. Neuerthelesse the lordes of ye Philistines were wroche with him and sayde vnto him: Make this felow returne,* 1.1 & let him go agayn to his place whiche thou hast apoynted him. For he shall not goo with vs to battayle, leest he be an aduersarye to vs in the battayle, when we begyn to fyghte. For wherwith coulde he better obtayne the fauour of his master, then vpon the heedes of our men? Is this not Da∣uid to whome they sange in daunces:* 1.2 Saul slew in thousandes, but Dauid his in ten thou∣sandes? Then Achis called Dauid and said vn¦to him: As truely as the Lorde lyueth thou arte honest, and it pleaseth me well that thou sholdest accompany me in the hoste / for I haue found none euyl with the from the tyme thou camest to me vnto this day. Neuerthelesse the [ C] Lordes of the Philistines fauoure the not: wherfore retourne and goo in peax, that thou displease not ye Lordes of the Philistines. And Dauid said agayn to Achis: Why, what haue I done? and what hast thou founde in thy ser¦uaunt as longe as I haue ben with the vnto this daye? that I maye not go fyght agaynste the ennemyes of my Lorde the kynge.
Achis answered and sayd to Dauid: I wot [ D] well, thou pleasest me, as it were an aungell of God. Notwithstandynge the lordes of the Philistines haue sayde, that thou shalte not go with them to battayle. Wherfore aryse vp erly in the mornyng with thy masters seruaū∣tes that are come with the. And when ye be vp erlye, as soone it begyn to be daye, departe. And so Dauid and his men arose erlye to de∣parte in the mornyng, and to returne in to the lande of the Philistines. And the Philistines went vp to Iezrahell.