But Absalom said, &#8220;Call for<n id="1" /> Hushai the Arkite, and let&#8217;s hear what he has to say.&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Abner advised<n id="1" /> the elders of Israel, &#8220;Previously you were wanting David to be your king.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Then Abner spoke privately<n id="1" /> with the Benjaminites. Abner also went to Hebron to inform David privately<n id="2" /> of all that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin had agreed to.<n id="3" />

In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel.<n id="1" /> The <sc>Lordsc> said to you, &#8216;You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over Israel.&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">In those days Ahithophel&#8217;s advice was considered as valuable as a prophetic revelation.<n id="1" /> Both David and Absalom highly regarded the advice of Ahithophel.<n id="2" />p>

And you didn&#8217;t stop there, O <sc>Lordsc> God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant&#8217;s family.<n id="1" /> Is this your usual way of dealing with men,<n id="2" /> O <sc>Lordsc> God?

King David dedicated these things to the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" /> along with the dedicated silver and gold that he had taken from<n id="2" /> all the nations that he had subdued,

So David said to Uriah, &#8220;Stay here another day. Tomorrow I will send you back.&#8221; So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem both that day and the following one.<n id="1" />

When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David&#8217;s soldiers<n id="1" /> fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then David exclaimed to Nathan, &#8220;I have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>!&#8221; Nathan replied to David, &#8220;Yes, and the <sc>Lordsc> has forgiven<n id="1" /> your sin. You are not going to die.

Nonetheless, because you have treated the <sc>Lordsc> with such contempt<n id="1" /> in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.&#8221;p>

Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, &#8220;I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.<n id="1" />

Mephibosheth said to the king, &#8220;Let him have<n id="1" /> the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely<n id="2" /> to his house!&#8221;p>

Now Saul&#8217;s son<n id="1" /> had two men who were in charge of raiding units; one was named Baanah and the other Recab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, who was a Benjaminite. (Beeroth is regarded as belonging to Benjamin,

Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn&#8217;t a woman throw an upper millstone<n id="1" /> down on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?&#8217; just say to him, &#8216;Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, &#8220;Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new<n id="1" /> king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country.<n id="2" />

Zadok and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. When they positioned the ark of God, Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving<n id="1" /> the city.p>

If that happens even the bravest soldier &#8211; one who is lion-hearted &#8211; will virtually melt away. For all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and that those who are with him are brave.

We will come against him wherever he happens to be found. We will descend on him like the dew falls on the ground. Neither he nor any of the men who are with him will be spared alive &#8211; not one of them!

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!&#8221;p>