<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> thundered<n id="1" /> from the sky;p> <p class="poetry">the sovereign One<n id="2" /> shouted loudly.<n id="3" />p>

David and all Israel<n id="1" /> were bringing up the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>, shouting and blowing trumpets.<n id="2" />p>

But he refused to listen to her.<n id="1" /> He overpowered her and humiliated her by raping her.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">In my distress I called to the <sc>Lordsc>;p> <p class="poetry">I called to my God.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">From his heavenly temple<n id="2" /> he heard my voice;p> <p class="poetry">he listened to my cry for help.<n id="3" />p>

So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly<n id="1" /> over Abner&#8217;s grave and all the people wept too.

When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, act decisively. For at that moment the <sc>Lordsc> is going before you to strike down the army<n id="1" /> of the Philistines.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Just as he finished speaking, the king&#8217;s sons arrived, wailing and weeping.<n id="1" /> The king and all his servants wept loudly<n id="2" /> as well.

<p class="bodytext">Then Absalom sent spies through all the tribes of Israel who said, &#8220;When you hear the sound of the horn, you may assume<n id="1" /> that Absalom rules in Hebron.&#8221;

The king covered his face and cried out loudly,<n id="1" /> &#8220;My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!&#8221;p>

<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.

<p class="bodytext">On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, &#8220;While the child was still alive he would not listen to us<n id="1" /> when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

I am presently eighty years old. Am I able to discern good and bad? Can I<n id="1" /> taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I<n id="2" /> continue to be a burden to my lord the king?