1 ف ِي تِلْكَ الأثناءِ، حَشَدَ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ كُلَّ جُيُوشِهمْ فِي أفِيقَ. وَعَسكَرَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ عِندَ عَينِ حَرُودَ فِي يَزرَعِيلَ.

¶ Now the Philistines gathered together all their camps to Aphek, and the Israelites pitched camp by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

2 و َكانَ حُكّامُ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ يَتَقَدَّمُونَ في فِرَقٍ مِنْ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ وَألفِ رَجُلٍ. وَأمّا داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ فَكانُوا فِي الخَلفِ مَعَ أخِيشَ.

And as the cardinals of the Philistines reviewed their companies of hundreds and of thousands, David and his men were in the rear with Achish.

3 ف َسَألَ ضُبّاطُ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ: «ما الَّذِي يَفعَلُهُ هَؤُلاءِ العبرانِيُّونَ هُنا؟» فَقالَ أخِيشُ لِضُبّاطِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ: «هَذا هُوَ داوُدُ. كانَ أحَدَ ضُبّاطِ شاوُلَ، لَكِنَّهُ مَعِي مُنذُ مُدَّةٍ طَوِيلَةٍ. وَلَمْ أجِدْ فِيهِ عَيباً مُنذُ أنْ تَرَكَ شاوُلَ وَانضَمَّ إلَيَّ.»

Then the princes of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish replied unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the slave of Saul, the king of Israel, who has been with me these days or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?

4 ل َكِنَّ ضُبّاطَ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ غَضِبُوا مِنْ أخِيشَ. وَقالُوا لَهُ: «أعِدْهُ. ليَذهَبْ إلَى المَدِينَةِ الَّتِي أعْطَيتَهُ إيّاها. لا يُمكِنُهُ أنْ يُرافِقَنا إلَى المَعرَكَةِ. فَما دامَ داوُدُ هُنا، فَإنَّ بَينَنا عَدُوّاً فِي مُعَسكَرِنا. وَكَيفَ سَيُصالِحُ مَلِكَهُ؟ ألَيسَ بِقَتلِهِ رِجالَنا؟

Then the princes of the Philistines were angry with him, and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him and not come with us to the battle lest in the battle he be an adversary to us, for with what should he return to the good graces of his master than with the heads of these men?

5 أ لَيْسَ داوُدُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَرْقُصُ لَهُ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ وَيُغَنُّونَ: «شاوُلُ قَتَلَ الآلافَ. وَداوُدُ عَشَراتِ الآلافِ!»

Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands and David his ten thousands?

6 ف َدَعَى أخِيشُ داوُدَ وَقالَ لَهُ: «أُقسِمُ بِاللهِ الحَيِّ، إنَّكَ مُخلِصٌ لِي. وَيَسُرُّنِي أنْ تَخدِمَ فِي جَيشِي. فَأنا لَمْ أجِدْ فِيكَ عَيباً مُنذُ أنْ جِئتَ إلَيَّ. وَلَكِنَّ حُكّامَ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ لا يَثِقُونَ بِكَ.

¶ Then Achish called David and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD lives, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the camp is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day; nevertheless, thou art not good in the eyes of the cardinals.

7 ف اذهَبْ فِي سَلامٍ. وَلا تَعْمَلْ ما لا يُرْضِي حُكّامَ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ.»

Therefore, now return and go in peace that thou not do evil in the eyes of the cardinals of the Philistines.

8 ف َسَألَهُ داوُدُ: «ما الَّذِي فَعَلْتُهُ؟ هَلْ وَجَدْتَ فِيَّ عَيباً مُنذُ أنْ جِئتُ إلَيكَ؟ فَلِماذا تَرفُضُ أنْ تَدَعَنِي أُحارِبُ أعداءَكَ، يا سَيَّدِي المَلِكُ؟»

And David replied unto Achish, But what have I done? And what hast thou found in thy slave so long as I have been with thee unto this day that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

9 ف َأجابَ أخِيشُ: «أنا مُتَأكِّدٌ مِنْ أنَّكَ رَجُلٌ صالِحٌ، بَلْ إنِّي أراكَ كَمَلاكٍ مِنْ عِندِ اللهِ! لَكِنَّ ضُبّاطَ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ مازالُوا يُصِرُّونَ وَيَقُولُونَ: ‹لا يُمكِنُ لِداوُدَ أنْ يَدخُلَ المَعرَكَةَ مَعَنا.›

And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight as an angel of God; notwithstanding, the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

10 ل ِهَذا أرِيدُكَ أنْ تَعُودَ أنتَ وَرِجالُكَ فِي الصَّباحِ الباكِرِ إلَى المَدِينَةِ الَّتِي أعطَيتُكَ إيّاها. لا تَهْتَمَّ لِما يَقُولُهُ ضُبّاطُ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ عَنكَ. فَأنتَ رَجُلٌ صالِحٌ، لَكِنْ عَلَيكَ أنْ تَنْصرِفَ مَعَ ضَوْءِ الفَجْرِ.»

Therefore, now rise up early in the morning with thy master’s slaves that are come with thee, and as soon as ye are up early in the morning and it is light, depart.

11 ف َقامَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ فِي الصَّباحِ الباكِرِ وَرَجِعُوا إلَى أرْضِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ. أمّا الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ فَصَعدُوا إلَى يَزرَعِيلَ.

So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.