(Now she was wearing a long robe,<n id="1" /> for this is what the king&#8217;s virgin daughters used to wear.) So Amnon&#8217;s<n id="2" /> attendant removed her and bolted the door<n id="3" /> behind her.

<p class="bodytext">So the king and all the members of his royal court<n id="1" /> set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines<n id="2" /> to attend to the palace.

Then they went to the fortress of Tyre<n id="1" /> and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beer Sheba.

<p class="bodytext">When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching him, he<n id="1" /> went out and bowed to the king with his face<n id="2" /> to the ground.

So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to<n id="1" /> your servants. For I swear by the <sc>Lordsc> that if you don&#8217;t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!&#8221;p>

Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and confronted them at the pool of Gibeon. One group stationed themselves on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side of the pool.

But Asahel<n id="1" /> refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the back end of his<n id="2" /> spear. The spear came out his back; Asahel<n id="3" /> collapsed on the spot and died there right before Abner.<n id="4" /> Everyone who now comes to the place where Asahel fell dead pauses in respect.<n id="5" />p>

In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel.<n id="1" /> The <sc>Lordsc> said to you, &#8216;You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over Israel.&#8217;&#8221;p>

When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house,<n id="1" /> Michal, Saul&#8217;s daughter, came out to meet him.<n id="2" /> She said, &#8220;How the king of Israel has distinguished<n id="3" /> himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants&#8217; slave girls the way a vulgar fool<n id="4" /> might do!&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">In the spring of the year, at the time when kings<n id="1" /> normally conduct wars,<n id="2" /> David sent out Joab with his officers<n id="3" /> and the entire Israelite army.<n id="4" /> They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.<n id="5" />

He took the crown of their king<n id="1" /> from his head &#8211; it was gold, weighed about seventy-five pounds,<n id="2" /> and held a precious stone &#8211; and it was placed on David&#8217;s head. He also took from the city a great deal of plunder.

He removed<n id="1" /> the people who were in it and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, putting them to work at the brick kiln. This was his policy<n id="2" /> with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.<n id="3" />p>

Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, &#8220;My own son, my very own flesh and blood,<n id="1" /> is trying to take my life. So also now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone so that he can curse, for the <sc>Lordsc> has spoken to him.

He said to the king, &#8220;Don&#8217;t think badly of me, my lord, and don&#8217;t recall the sin of your servant on the day when you, my lord the king, left<n id="1" /> Jerusalem!<n id="2" /> Please don&#8217;t call it to mind!

<p class="bodytext">When they were near the big rock that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire and had a dagger in its sheath belted to his waist. When he advanced, it fell out.<n id="1" />p>

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David&#8217;s aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David&#8217;s men took an oath saying, &#8220;You will not go out to battle with us again! You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">But the king&#8217;s edict stood, despite the objections of<n id="1" /> Joab and the leaders of the army. So Joab and the leaders of the army left the king&#8217;s presence in order to muster the Israelite army.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;