¹⁷ I will set my face^(A) against you so that you will be defeated^(B) by your enemies;^(C) those who hate you will rule over you,^(D) and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.^(E)

Curses for Disobedience

¹⁵ However, if you do not obey^(A) the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today,^(B) all these curses will come on you and overtake you:^(C)

²⁵ The Lord will cause you to be defeated^(A) before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven,^(B) and you will become a thing of horror^(C) to all the kingdoms on earth.^(D)

² The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.

¹⁷ They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up^(A) a large heap of rocks^(B) over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.

⁸ So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the men were told, “The king is sitting in the gateway,^(A)” they all came before him.

Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled to their homes.

¹² Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.^(A)

²² Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.