But you will be able to counter the advice of Ahithophel if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king! Previously I was your father’s servant, and now I will be your servant.’

So Hushai came to Absalom. Absalom said to him, “Here is what Ahithophel has advised. Should we follow his advice? If not, what would you recommend?”p>

If he regroups in a city, all Israel will take up ropes to that city and drag it down to the valley, so that not a single pebble will be left there!”p>

Say to Amasa, &#8216;Are you not my flesh and blood?<n id="1" /> God will punish me severely,<n id="2" /> if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!&#8217;&#8221;p>

After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather<n id="1" /> who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table!<n id="2" /> What further claim do I have to ask<n id="3" /> the king for anything?&#8221;p>

All the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, &#8220;Because the king is our close relative! Why are you so upset about this? Have we eaten at the king&#8217;s expense?<n id="1" /> Or have we misappropriated anything for our own use?&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. (Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to<n id="1" /> them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.)

Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants<n id="1" /> who should succeed my master the king on his throne?&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

Solomon was told, &#8220;Look, Adonijah fears you;<n id="1" /> see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, &#8216;May King Solomon solemnly promise<n id="2" /> me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.&#8217;&#8221;

and the <sc>Lordsc> will fulfill his promise to me,<n id="1" /> &#8216;If your descendants watch their step<n id="2" /> and live faithfully in my presence<n id="3" /> with all their heart and being,<n id="4" /> then,&#8217; he promised,<n id="5" /> &#8216;you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.&#8217;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim,<n id="1" /> who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim.<n id="2" /> He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised<n id="3" /> him by the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8216;I will not strike you down<n id="4" /> with the sword.&#8217;

&#8220;As for this temple you are building, if you follow<n id="1" /> my rules, observe<n id="2" /> my regulations, and obey all my commandments,<n id="3" /> I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But if you or your sons ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep,<n id="1" /> and decide to serve and worship other gods,<n id="2" />

They said to him, &#8220;Today if you show a willingness to help these people and grant their request, they will be your servants from this time forward.&#8221;<n id="1" />

If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple in Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> their loyalty could shift to their former master,<n id="2" /> King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.&#8221;

But the prophet said to the king, &#8220;Even if you were to give me half your possessions,<n id="1" /> I could not go with you and eat and drink<n id="2" /> in this place.

As certainly as the <sc>Lordsc> your God lives, my master has sent to every nation and kingdom in an effort to find you. When they say, &#8216;He&#8217;s not here,&#8217; he makes them<n id="1" /> swear an oath that they could not find you.

But now at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you and they will search through your palace and your servants&#8217; houses. They will carry away all your valuables.&#8221;<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">Ben Hadad sent another message to him, &#8220;May the gods judge me severely<n id="1" /> if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.&#8221;<n id="2" />

Now the advisers<n id="1" /> of the king of Syria said to him: &#8220;Their God is a god of the mountains. That&#8217;s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them.