The army of Israel was defeated there by David&#8217;s men.<n id="1" /> The slaughter there was great that day &#8211; 20,000 soldiers were killed.

At this very moment he is hiding out in one of the caves or in some other similar place. If it should turn out that he attacks our troops first,<n id="1" /> whoever hears about it will say, &#8216;Absalom&#8217;s army has been slaughtered!&#8217;

So David said, &#8220;Good! I will make an agreement with you. I ask only one thing from you. You will not see my face unless you bring Saul&#8217;s daughter Michal when you come to visit me.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent man as he slept<n id="1" /> in his own house, should I not now require his blood from your hands and remove<n id="2" /> you from the earth?&#8221;p>

I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated<n id="1" /> all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.<n id="2" />

Abner said to David, &#8220;Let me leave so that I may go and gather all Israel to my lord the king so that they may make an agreement<n id="1" /> with you. Then you will rule over all that you desire.&#8221; So David sent Abner away, and he left in peace.p>

<p class="poetry">The one true God<n id="1" /> is my mighty refuge;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he removes<n id="3" /> the obstacles in my way.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">You widen my path;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my feet<n id="2" /> do not slip.p>

and will bring the entire army back to you. In exchange for the life of the man you are seeking, you will get back everyone.<n id="1" /> The entire army will return unharmed.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

She said, &#8220;In the past they would always say, &#8216;Let them inquire in Abel,&#8217; and that is how they settled things.

<p class="bodytext">Later there was another battle with the Philistines, this time in Gob. On that occasion Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of Rapha.

<p class="bodytext">Now the battle was very severe that day; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David&#8217;s soldiers.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">So the messenger departed. When he arrived, he informed David of all the news that Joab had sent with him.

and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah<n id="1" /> for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sake.p>

Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim came down quickly with the men of Judah to meet King David.

<p class="poetry">Smoke ascended from<n id="1" /> his nose;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">fire devoured as it came from his mouth;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he hurled down fiery coals.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">He gives his chosen king magnificent victories;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he is faithful to his chosen ruler,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to David and to his descendants forever!&#8221;p>

when someone told me that Saul was dead &#8211; even though he thought he was bringing good news<n id="1" /> &#8211; I seized him and killed him in Ziklag. That was the good news I gave to him!

<p class="bodytext">So David marched against Baal Perazim and defeated them there. Then he said, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has burst out against my enemies like water bursts out.&#8221; So he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.<n id="1" />

But the king said to Araunah, &#8220;No, I insist on buying it from you! I will not offer to the <sc>Lordsc> my God burnt sacrifices that cost me nothing.&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver.<n id="1" />