<p class="poetry">You widen my path;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my feet<n id="2" /> do not slip.p>

<p class="poetry">From the blood of the slain, from the fat of warriors,p> <p class="poetry">the bow of Jonathan was not turned away.p> <p class="poetry">The sword of Saul never returned<n id="1" /> empty.p>

Then Joab blew the ram&#8217;s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks.<n id="1" /> They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">Your hands<n id="1" /> were not bound,p> <p class="poetry">and your feet were not put into irons.p> <p class="poetry">You fell the way one falls before criminals.&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">All the people<n id="2" /> wept over him again.

I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle<n id="1" /> them there; they will live there and not be disturbed<n id="2" /> any more. Violent men<n id="3" /> will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning

The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them.p>

But the king said, &#8220;Let him go over<n id="1" /> to his own house. He may not see my face.&#8221; So Absalom went over<n id="2" /> to his own house; he did not see the king&#8217;s face.p>

<p class="bodytext">Now in all Israel everyone acknowledged that there was no man as handsome as Absalom.<n id="1" /> From the sole of his feet to the top of his head he was perfect in appearance.<n id="2" />

Then Absalom sent a message to Joab asking him to send him to the king, but Joab was not willing to come to him. So he sent a second message to him, but he still was not willing to come.

Hushai replied to Absalom, &#8220;No, I will be loyal to the one whom the <sc>Lordsc>, these people, and all the men of Israel have chosen.<n id="1" />

<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">For I am aware of all his regulations,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and I do not reject his rules.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I chase my enemies and destroy them;p> <p class="poetry">I do not turn back until I wipe them out.p>

<p class="poetry">I wipe them out and beat them to death;p> <p class="poetry">they cannot get up;p> <p class="poetry">they fall at my feet.p>

<p class="poetry">They cry out,<n id="1" /> but there is no one to help them;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they cry out to the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="3" /> but he does not answer them.p>

<p class="poetry">But evil people are like thorns &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">all of them are tossed away,p> <p class="poetry">for they cannot be held in the hand.p>

<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">Now Mephibosheth, Saul&#8217;s grandson,<n id="1" /> came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely<n id="2" /> returned, Mephibosheth<n id="3" /> had not cared for his feet<n id="4" /> nor trimmed<n id="5" /> his mustache nor washed his clothes.p>

<p class="bodytext">But the soldiers replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;You should not do this!<n id="2" /> For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won&#8217;t be too concerned about us.<n id="3" /> Even if half of us should die, they won&#8217;t be too concerned about us. But you<n id="4" /> are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.&#8221;

David replied to him, &#8220;How is it that you were not afraid to reach out your hand to destroy the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s anointed?&#8221;