<p class="bodytext">This seemed like a good idea to Absalom and to all the leaders<n id="1" /> of Israel.

I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this!<n id="1" /> But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!&#8221;

Perhaps the <sc>Lordsc> will notice my affliction<n id="1" /> and this day grant me good in place of his curse.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">All the people noticed this and it pleased them.<n id="1" /> In fact, everything the king did pleased all the people.

But Amnon became frustrated because he was so lovesick<n id="1" /> over his sister Tamar. For she was a virgin, and to Amnon it seemed out of the question to do anything to her.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then the king said to Zadok, &#8220;Take the ark of God back to the city. If I find favor in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sight he will bring me back and enable me to see both it and his dwelling place again.

<p class="bodytext">Then Abner spoke privately<n id="1" /> with the Benjaminites. Abner also went to Hebron to inform David privately<n id="2" /> of all that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin had agreed to.<n id="3" />

When the time of mourning passed, David had her brought to his palace.<n id="1" /> She became his wife and she bore him a son. But what David had done upset the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

Why have you shown contempt for the word of the <sc>Lordsc> by doing evil in my<n id="1" /> sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife as your own!<n id="2" /> You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.