The Lord repaid me for my godly deeds; he rewarded my blameless behavior.

For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; I have not rebelled against my God.

He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend even the strongest bow.

You give me your protective shield; your willingness to help enables me to prevail.

The Lord is alive! My protector is praiseworthy! The God who delivers me is exalted as king!

When David got up the next morning, the Lord had already spoken to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

David said to Gad, “I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is great; I do not want to be attacked by men!”

Now there was a servant from Saul’s house named Ziba, so he was summoned to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “At your service.”

My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, my stronghold, my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence!

David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.

They went through all the land and after nine months and twenty days came back to Jerusalem.

Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O sovereign Lord, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty be blessed on into the future!”

In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west on a road beside the hill.

Foreigners lose their courage; they shake with fear as they leave their strongholds.

So the three elite warriors broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate. They carried it back to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord

So David asked the Lord what he should do. This time the Lord said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees.

I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city in Israel. Why should you swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”

So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly over Abner’s grave and all the people wept too.

All the people noticed this and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased all the people.

David’s power grew steadily, for the Lord God who commands armies was with him.