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So Absalom said, "But will you not let Amnon my brother go with us?" And the king said to him, "Why should he go with you?"

But Absalom pressed him, so he sent Amnon with him and all of the sons of the king.

But Absalom had fled and went to Geshur, and he was there three years.

The Tekoite woman said to the king, "On me, my lord the king, is the guilt, and on the house of my father, but the king on his throne is innocent."

The woman said, "But why have you plotted like this against the people of God? By speaking this word, he is guilty not to bring back his banished one.

For we must certainly die, and we are as the waters spilled to the ground which cannot be gathered. God will not take a life but devises plans for a banished person not to be cast out from him.

In order to change the situation, your servant Joab did this thing. But my lord has wisdom, as the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is on the earth."

Absalom lived in Jerusalem two full years, but he did not see the face of the king.

So Absalom sent for Joab, in order that he send him to the king, but he was not willing to go to him. He sent again a second time, but he was not willing to go.

Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your case is good and right, but for you there is no hearing with the king."

The king went out with all his household following him, but the king left behind ten concubines to look after the house.

But Ittai answered the king and said, "As Yahweh lives and my lord the king lives, surely in the place wherever my lord the king shall be, if for death or if for life, surely there your servant will be."

But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,' then I am ready. Let him do to me that which is good in his eyes.

but if you want to return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king. I used to be a servant of your father, but from then and now I will be your servant,' then you can frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel for me.

Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you are seeking will be dead, but all the people will be safe."

Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "Thus and so Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, but thus and so I have advised.

But a young man saw them and told Absalom, so both of them went quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim. Now he had a well in his courtyard, so they went down there.

When the servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house, they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And she said to them, "They crossed over the brook of water." So they searched but could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.

Then the troops said, "You will not go out, for if we must flee, then they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us, but now, you are like ten thousand of us. And so then, it is better for us that you be in the city to help."

Joab said to him, "You will not be a man bringing good news this day! You may bring good news on another day, but today you will not be bringing good news because the king's son is dead."