be the Lord thy God, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.' 29And the king said: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And Ahimaaz answered: 'When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.' 30And the king said: 'Turn aside, and stand here.' And he turned aside, and stood still.
31And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said: 'Tidings for my lord the king; for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.' 32And the king said unto the Cushite: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And the Cushite answered: 'The enemies of my lord the king and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.'
19And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, thus he said: 'O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! '
2And it was told Joab: 'Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.' 3 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people; for the people heard say that day: 'The king grieveth for his son.' 4And the people got them by stealth that day into the city, as people that are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. 5And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice: 'O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! ' 6And Joab came into the house to the king, and said: 'Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, who this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; 7in that thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest them that love thee. For thou hast declared this day, that princes and servants are nought unto thee; for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. 8Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak to the heart of thy servants; for I swear by the Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry a man with thee this night; and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that hath befallen thee from thy youth until now.' 9Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying: 'Behold, the king doth sit in the gate'; and all the people came before the king.
Now Israel had fled every man to his tent. 10And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying: 'The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land from Absalom. 11And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now, therefore, why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?'
12And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying: 'Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying: Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house?—For the speech of all Israel was come to the king, to bring him to his house.—13Ye are my brethren, ye are my bone and my flesh; wherefore then should ye be the last to bring back the king? 14And say ye to Amasa: Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in
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