Absalom said to Hushai, “Do you call this loyalty to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”

After four years Absalom said to the king, “Let me go and repay my vow that I made to the Lord while I was in Hebron.

The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go count Israel and Judah.”

So Gad went to David that day and told him, “Go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”

I will cross the Jordan with the king and go a short distance. Why should the king reward me in this way?

But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house.

So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!”

Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your home and relax.” When Uriah left the palace, the king sent a gift to him.

Then Absalom went to the king and said, “My shearers have begun their work. Let the king and his servants go with me.”

When Uriah came to him, David asked about how Joab and the army were doing and how the campaign was going.

Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again spoke to Joab, “Whatever happens, let me go after the Cushite.” But Joab said, “Why is it that you want to go, my son? You have no good news that will bring you a reward.”

“Go, tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.’”

That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle.

Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me pick out twelve thousand men. Then I will go and pursue David this very night.

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country.

He replied, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me! I said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,’ for I am lame.

The king told Joab, the general in command of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba and muster the army, so I may know the size of the army.”

Then David prayed to God for the child and fasted. He would even go and spend the night lying on the ground.

David inquired, “How were things going? Tell me!” He replied, “The people fled from the battle and many of them fell dead. Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead!”