But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether dead or alive, ¹  there I ²  will be as well!”

I grind them as fine as the dust of the ground; I crush them and stomp on them like clay ¹  in the streets.

Some time later Absalom managed to acquire ¹  a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. ² 

The three sons of Zeruiah were there – Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.)

Just as he finished speaking, the king’s sons arrived, wailing and weeping. ¹  The king and all his servants wept loudly ²  as well.

David replied to Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered my life from all adversity,

Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! ¹ 

In those days Ahithophel’s advice was considered as valuable as a prophetic revelation. ¹  Both David and Absalom highly regarded the advice of Ahithophel. ² 

Joab replied, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit ¹  of their brothers!”

So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, according to the Lord’s instructions.

So David’s friend Hushai arrived in the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner.

Jonadab said to the king, “Look! The king’s sons have come! It’s just as I said!”

As he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Leave! Leave! You man of bloodshed, you wicked man! ¹ 

O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet ¹  as well as jewelry, who put gold jewelry on your clothes.

Now in all Israel everyone acknowledged that there was no man as handsome as Absalom. ¹  From the sole of his feet to the top of his head he was perfect in appearance. ² 

As David was going up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping as he went; his head was covered and his feet were bare. All the people who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went up.

He ¹  won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. Then they sent word to the king saying, “Return, you and all your servants as well.”

David did just as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer. ¹ 

for the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have remained there as resident foreigners until the present time.) ¹