<p class="poetry">The one true God<n id="1" /> is my mighty refuge;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he removes<n id="3" /> the obstacles in my way.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For I have obeyed the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s commands;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I have not rebelled against my God.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The one true God acts in a faithful manner;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s promise is reliable;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.p>

<p class="bodytext">While they were still on their way, the following report reached David: &#8220;Absalom has killed all the king&#8217;s sons; not one of them is left!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west<n id="1" /> on a road beside the hill.

<p class="bodytext">So David and his men went on their way. But Shimei kept going along the side of the hill opposite him, yelling curses as he threw stones and dirt at them.<n id="1" />

But he said,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Whatever happens, I want to go!&#8221; So Joab<n id="2" /> said to him, &#8220;Then go!&#8221; So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Jordan plain, and he passed the Cushite.p>

<p class="bodytext">So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

<p class="bodytext">They had entered<n id="1" /> the house while Ish-bosheth<n id="2" /> was resting on his bed in his bedroom. They mortally wounded him<n id="3" /> and then cut off his head.<n id="4" /> Taking his head,<n id="5" /> they traveled on the way of the Arabah all that night.

<p class="bodytext">So they informed David, &#8220;Uriah has not gone down to his house.&#8221; So David said to Uriah, &#8220;Haven&#8217;t you just arrived from a journey? Why haven&#8217;t you gone down to your house?&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">All the land was weeping loudly<n id="1" /> as all these people were leaving.<n id="2" /> As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving<n id="3" /> on the road that leads to the desert.

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, &#8220;What city are you from?&#8221; The person would answer, &#8220;I, your servant,<n id="1" /> am from one of the tribes of Israel.&#8221;