Act now! For the Lord has said to David, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their enemies.’”

David said on that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ who are David’s enemies by going through the water tunnel.” For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.”

So David marched against Baal Perazim and defeated them there. Then he said, “The Lord has burst out against my enemies like water bursts out.” So he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David

The king settled into his palace, for the Lord gave him relief from all his enemies on all sides.

I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.

and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you.

David Learns of Absalom’s Death

Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run and give the king the good news that the Lord has vindicated him before his enemies.”

The king asked the Cushite, “How is the young man Absalom?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who have plotted against you be like that young man!”

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 that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, it would be all right with you.

All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.

David Sings to the Lord

David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was delivered from my enemies.

I chase my enemies and destroy them; I do not turn back until I wipe them out.

You make my enemies retreat; I destroy those who hate me.

He delivers me from my enemies; you snatch me away from those who attack me; you rescue me from violent men.

Gad went to David and told him, “Shall seven years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemies with them in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what I should tell the one who sent me.”