But Absalom said, “Call for ¹  Hushai the Arkite, and let’s hear what he has to say.” ² 

Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together for me in three days, ¹  and you be present here with them too.”

So Amasa went out to call Judah together. But in doing so he took longer than the time that the king had allotted him.

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

Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him, “What city are you from?” The person would answer, “I, your servant, ¹  am from one of the tribes of Israel.”

He said to the king, “Don’t think badly of me, my lord, and don’t recall the sin of your servant on the day when you, my lord the king, left ¹  Jerusalem! ²  Please don’t call it to mind!

I called ¹  to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, ²  and I was delivered from my enemies.

Then Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will turn bitter in the end? When will you tell the people to turn aside from pursuing their brothers?”

Abner said to David, “Let me leave so that I may go and gather all Israel to my lord the king so that they may make an agreement ¹  with you. Then you will rule over all that you desire.” So David sent Abner away, and he left in peace.