In my distress I called to the Lord; I called to my God. ¹  From his heavenly temple ²  he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help. ³ 

I am presently eighty years old. Am I able to discern good and bad? Can I ¹  taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I ²  continue to be a burden to my lord the king?

The Lord thundered ¹  from the sky; the sovereign One ²  shouted loudly. ³ 

So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly ¹  over Abner’s grave and all the people wept too.

The king covered his face and cried out loudly, ¹  “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

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.

All the land was weeping loudly ¹  as all these people were leaving. ²  As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving ³  on the road that leads to the desert.

But he refused to listen to her. ¹  He overpowered her and humiliated her by raping her. ² 

On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, “While the child was still alive he would not listen to us ¹  when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!” ² 

The Lord’s spirit spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.