⁸When the Philistines heard that David had been made king of all Israel, they went to look for him. But David heard about it and went out to fight them. ⁹The Philistines had attacked and robbed the people in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁰David asked God, “Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, I will hand them over to you.”

¹¹So David and his men went up to the town of Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines. David said, “Like a flood of water, God has broken through my enemies by using me.” So that place was named Baal Perazim. ⁿ ¹²The Philistines had left their idols there, so David ordered his men to burn them.

¹³Soon the Philistines attacked the people in the valley again. ¹⁴David prayed to God again, and God answered him, saying, “Don’t attack the Philistines from the front. Instead, go around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. ¹⁵When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then attack. I, God, will have gone out before you to defeat the Philistine army.” ¹⁶David did as God commanded, and he and his men defeated the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

¹⁷So David became famous in all the countries, and the Lord made all nations afraid of him.

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Footnotes

nBaal Perazim This name means “the Lord breaks through.”