<p class="bodytext">The king said to Zadok the priest, &#8220;Are you a seer?<n id="1" /> Go back to the city in peace! Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar&#8217;s son Jonathan may go with you and Abiathar.<n id="2" />

But a young man saw them on one occasion and informed Absalom. So the two of them quickly departed and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. There was a well in his courtyard, and they got down in it.

<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.

Araunah told David, &#8220;My lord the king may take whatever he wishes<n id="1" /> and offer it. Look! Here are oxen for burnt offerings, and threshing sledges<n id="2" /> and harnesses<n id="3" /> for wood.

<p class="bodytext">As the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> entered the City of David, Saul&#8217;s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the <sc>Lordsc>, she despised him.<n id="1" />

When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer<n id="1" /> saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel.<n id="2" /> The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.p>

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace.<n id="1" /> From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came in to see him, Amnon said to the king, &#8220;Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can make a couple of cakes in my sight. Then I will eat from her hand.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Absalom instructed his servants, &#8220;Look! When Amnon is drunk<n id="1" /> and I say to you, &#8216;Strike Amnon down,&#8217; kill him then and there. Don&#8217;t fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous!&#8221;<n id="2" />

So he said to his servants, &#8220;Look, Joab has a portion of field adjacent to mine and he has some barley there. Go and set it on fire.&#8221;<n id="1" /> So Absalom&#8217;s servants set Joab&#8217;s<n id="2" /> portion of the field on fire.p>

<p class="bodytext">Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying in En Rogel. A female servant would go and inform them, and they would then go and inform King David. It was not advisable for them to be seen going into the city.

<p class="bodytext">When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and returned to his house in his hometown. After setting his household in order, he hanged himself. So he died and was buried in the grave<n id="1" /> of his father.p>

Joab replied to the man who was telling him this, &#8220;What! You saw this? Why didn&#8217;t you strike him down right on the spot?<n id="1" /> I would have given you ten pieces of silver<n id="2" /> and a commemorative belt!&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates,<n id="1" /> and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate at the wall. When he looked, he saw a man running by himself.

<p class="bodytext">Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called out to the gatekeeper, &#8220;There is another man running by himself.&#8221; The king said, &#8220;This one also is bringing good news.&#8221;

The watchman said, &#8220;It appears to me that the first runner is Ahimaaz<n id="1" /> son of Zadok.&#8221; The king said, &#8220;He is a good man, and he comes with good news.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">The king replied, &#8220;How is the young man Absalom?&#8221; Ahimaaz replied, &#8220;I saw a great deal of confusion when Joab was sending the king&#8217;s servant and me, your servant, but I don&#8217;t know what it was all about.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Joab replied to the king, &#8220;May the <sc>Lordsc> your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king! But why does my master the king want to do this?&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">When he saw the angel who was destroying the people, David said to the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;Look, it is I who have sinned and done this evil thing! As for these sheep &#8211; what have they done? Attack me and my family.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them,<n id="1" /> they<n id="2" /> sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah,<n id="3" /> in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish-tob.<n id="4" />p>