You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don’t matter to you. I realize now ¹  that if ²  Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, ³  it would be all right with you.

The king longed ¹  to go to Absalom, for he had since been consoled over the death of Amnon. ² 

My dynasty is approved by God, ¹  for he has made a perpetual covenant with me, arranged in all its particulars and secured. He always delivers me, and brings all I desire to fruition. ² 

He said to me, ‘Stand over me and finish me off! ¹  I’m very dizzy, ²  even though I’m still alive.’ ³ 

Joab replied, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit ¹  of their brothers!”

God will severely judge Abner ¹  if I do not do for David exactly what the Lord has promised him, ² 

When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he ¹  realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.”

When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces. ¹ 

The waves of death engulfed me; the currents ¹  of chaos ²  overwhelmed me. ³ 

He rescued me from my strong enemy, ¹  from those who hate me, for they were too strong for me.

He brought me out into a wide open place; he delivered me because he was pleased with me. ¹ 

For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; ¹  I have not rebelled against my God. ² 

For I am aware of all his regulations, ¹  and I do not reject his rules. ² 

Indeed, ¹  you are my lamp, ²  Lord. The Lord illumines ³  the darkness around me. ⁴ 

Indeed, ¹ with your help ²  I can charge ³  against an army; ⁴  by my God’s power ⁵  I can jump over a wall. ⁶ 

But evil people are like thorns – all of them are tossed away, for they cannot be held in the hand.

But David said, “What do we have in common, ¹  you sons of Zeruiah? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t you realize that today I am king over Israel?”

But the soldiers replied, ¹  “You should not do this! ²  For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won’t be too concerned about us. ³  Even if half of us should die, they won’t be too concerned about us. But you ⁴  are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.”

When Ish-bosheth ¹  the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he was very disheartened, ²  and all Israel was afraid.

Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David ¹  sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf.