He asked me, &#8216;Who are you?&#8217; I told him, &#8216;I&#8217;m<n id="1" /> an Amalekite.&#8217;

The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, &#8220;I&#8217;m pregnant.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Abner turned and asked, &#8220;Is that you, Asahel?&#8221; He replied, &#8220;Yes it is!&#8221;

Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you<n id="1" /> reaches me.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">David said to the young man who told this to him, &#8220;Where are you from?&#8221; He replied, &#8220;I am an Amalekite, the son of a resident foreigner.&#8221;<n id="1" />

David said to him, &#8220;Your blood be on your own head! Your own mouth has testified against you, saying &#8216;I have put the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s anointed to death.&#8217;&#8221;p>

Now may the <sc>Lordsc> show you true kindness!<n id="1" /> I also will reward you,<n id="2" /> because you have done this deed.

<p class="bodytext">When David later heard about this, he said, &#8220;I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the <sc>Lordsc> of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner!

The king said to Nathan the prophet, &#8220;Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">King David went in, sat before the <sc>Lordsc>, and said, &#8220;Who am I, O <sc>Lordsc> God, and what is my family,<n id="1" /> that you should have brought me to this point?

<p class="bodytext">When he approached her, the woman asked, &#8220;Are you Joab?&#8221; He replied, &#8220;I am.&#8221; She said to him, &#8220;Listen to the words of your servant.&#8221; He said, &#8220;Go ahead. I&#8217;m listening.&#8221;

I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city<n id="1" /> in Israel. Why should you swallow up the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s inheritance?&#8221;p>

&#8220;Go, tell David, &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.&#8217;&#8221;p>

So David said, &#8220;Good! I will make an agreement with you. I ask only one thing from you. You will not see my face unless you bring Saul&#8217;s daughter Michal when you come to visit me.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Nathan said to David, &#8220;You are that man! This is what the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel says: &#8216;I chose<n id="1" /> you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul.

<p class="bodytext">Absalom instructed his servants, &#8220;Look! When Amnon is drunk<n id="1" /> and I say to you, &#8216;Strike Amnon down,&#8217; kill him then and there. Don&#8217;t fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous!&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Then the king replied to the woman, &#8220;Don&#8217;t hide any information from me when I question you.&#8221; The woman said, &#8220;Let my lord the king speak!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">When he saw the angel who was destroying the people, David said to the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;Look, it is I who have sinned and done this evil thing! As for these sheep &#8211; what have they done? Attack me and my family.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">These words of Ish-bosheth really angered Abner and he said, &#8220;Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating<n id="1" /> loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives<n id="2" /> and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today!<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">The man replied to Joab, &#8220;Even if<n id="1" /> I were receiving<n id="2" /> a thousand pieces of silver,<n id="3" /> I would not strike<n id="4" /> the king&#8217;s son! In our very presence<n id="5" /> the king gave this order to you and Abishai and Ittai, &#8216;Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.&#8217;<n id="6" />