<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>

<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.

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" />

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 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">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">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;

<p class="poetry">Saul and Jonathan were greatly loved<n id="1" /> during their lives,p> <p class="poetry">and not even in their deaths were they separated.p> <p class="poetry">They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.p>

Now Michal, Saul&#8217;s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.p>

But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

<p class="bodytext">Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king&#8217;s face.

However, if he should say, &#8216;I do not take pleasure in you,&#8217; then he will deal with me in a way that he considers appropriate.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Hushai replied to Absalom, &#8220;Ahithophel&#8217;s advice is not sound this time.&#8221;<n id="1" />

The king said to Shimei, &#8220;You won&#8217;t die.&#8221; The king vowed an oath<n id="1" /> concerning this.p>

<p class="poetry">You rescue me from a hostile army;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you preserve me as a leader of nations;p> <p class="poetry">people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">is like the light of morning when the sun comes up,p> <p class="poetry">a morning in which there are no clouds.p> <p class="poetry">He is like the brightness after rainp> <p class="poetry">that produces grass from the earth.p>

From<n id="1" /> the three he was given honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of the three.p>

He received honor from<n id="1" /> the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.p>