You made Israel your very own people for all time. ¹  You, O Lord, became their God.

“Go, tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.’”

The king replied to him, “Go in peace.” So Absalom ¹  got up and went to Hebron.

Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left. Capture one of the soldiers ¹  and take his equipment for yourself!” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him.

and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief ¹  from all your enemies. The Lord declares ²  to you that he himself ³  will build a dynastic house ⁴  for you.

I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms. ¹  I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well!

Nathan replied to the king, “You should go ¹  and do whatever you have in mind, ²  for the Lord is with you.”

The king replied to her, “What do you want?” ¹  She answered, “I am a widow; my husband is dead.

Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. ¹  But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.”

Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” After bowing to Joab, the Cushite ran off.

So Abner spoke again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground. ¹  How then could I show ²  my face in the presence of Joab your brother?”

Her husband went along behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Finally Abner said to him, “Go back!” ¹  So he returned home.

“Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?

I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated ¹  all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. ² 

Joab ¹  said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me, ²  you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, ³  I will come to your rescue.

So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’

Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt ¹  in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”

So David said to Ittai, “Come along then.” ¹  So Ittai the Gittite went along, ²  accompanied by all his men and all the dependents ³  who were with him.

The king said to Ziba, “Everything that was Mephibosheth’s now belongs to you.” Ziba replied, “I bow before you. May I find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”

The king replied, “Kimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever I deem appropriate. And whatever you choose, I will do for you.”