Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear!<n id="1" /> May the <sc>Lordsc> punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings.

The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans.

The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the men from Aram Zobah, Rehob, Ish-tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.p>

<p class="bodytext">So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers<n id="1" /> were.

The messenger said to David, &#8220;The men overpowered us and attacked us<n id="1" /> in the field. But we forced them to retreat all the way<n id="2" /> to the door of the city gate.

So Absalom&#8217;s servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed. Then all the king&#8217;s sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled.p>

Yes!<n id="1" /> The king may<n id="2" /> listen and deliver his female servant<n id="3" /> from the hand of the man who seeks to remove<n id="4" /> both me and my son from the inheritance God has given us!&#8217;<n id="5" />

<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" />

Absalom would then say, &#8220;If only they would make me<n id="1" /> a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint<n id="2" /> could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.&#8221;p>

Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty<n id="1" /> of the citizens<n id="2" /> of Israel.p>

Now two hundred men had gone with Absalom from Jerusalem. Since they were invited, they went naively and were unaware of what Absalom was planning.<n id="1" />

So David said to Ittai, &#8220;Come along then.&#8221;<n id="1" /> So Ittai the Gittite went along,<n id="2" /> accompanied by all his men and all the dependents<n id="3" /> who were with him.p>

<p class="bodytext">So David and his men went on their way. But Shimei kept going along the side of the hill opposite him, yelling curses as he threw stones and dirt at them.<n id="1" />

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" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Ahithophel said to Absalom, &#8220;Let me pick out twelve thousand men. Then I will go and pursue David this very night.

and will bring the entire army back to you. In exchange for the life of the man you are seeking, you will get back everyone.<n id="1" /> The entire army will return unharmed.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

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.

Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim came down quickly with the men of Judah to meet King David.

But Barzillai was very old &#8211; eighty years old, in fact &#8211; and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich<n id="1" /> man.