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Then Absalom fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly.

Now Absalom had fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

And behold, the whole family has risen against your servant-woman, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.' Thus they will extinguish my coal which remains, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth."

And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, "O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on me and my father's house, but the king and his throne are guiltless."

Then the woman said, "Why then have you thought up such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.

So now, the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your servant-woman said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the word of his maidservant.

For the king will listen and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.'

And Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the word of his servant."

However the king said, "Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face." So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king's face.

Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no defect in him.

When he shaved the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he shaved it, for it was heavy on him so he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king's weight.

Therefore he said to his servants, "See, Joab's portion of land is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the portion of land on fire.

Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, "Why have your servants set my portion of land on fire?"

So Joab came to the king and told him, and he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.

And when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would send forth his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise and let us flee, for otherwise there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go in haste, lest he overtake us hastily and drive calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword."

So the king went out and all his household with him. But the king left ten concubines to keep the house.

Now all his servants passed on beside him, all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed on before the king.