23 When (A)David inquired of the Lord, He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the [a]balsam trees. 24 It shall be, when (B)you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the [b]balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then (C)the Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 25 Then David did so, just as the Lord had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from [c](D)Geba [d]as far as (E)Gezer.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:23 Or baka-shrubs
  2. 2 Samuel 5:24 Or baka-shrubs
  3. 2 Samuel 5:25 In 1 Chr 14:16, Gibeon
  4. 2 Samuel 5:25 Lit until you are coming to

23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound(A) of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front(B) of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines(C) all the way from Gibeon[a](D) to Gezer.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:25 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 14:16); Hebrew Geba