2 Samuel 5:17–25

¹⁷When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, ^qthey all went in search of David, but he heard about it and went down to the stronghold. ^r18So the Philistines came and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹Then David inquired of the Lord: ^s“Should I go to war against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord replied to David, “Go, for I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you.”

²⁰So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there and said, “Like a bursting flood, the Lord has burst out against my enemies before me.” ^tTherefore, he named that place the Lord Bursts Out. ^u21The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

²²The Philistines came up again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ²³So David inquired of the Lord, and He answered, “Do not make a frontal assault. Circle around behind them and attack them opposite the balsam trees. ²⁴When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act decisively, for then the Lord will have marched out ahead of you to attack the camp of the Philistines.” ^v25So David did exactly as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.