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Now therefore let not my lord the King take the thing to his heart, to thinke that all the Kings sonnes are dead: for Amnon onely is dead.

But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the sonne of Ammihud king of Geshur: and Dauid mourned for his sonne euery day.

And the soule of king Dauid longed to goe foorth vnto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

And Ioab sent to Tekoah, and fetcht thence a wise woman, and said vnto her, I pray thee, faine thy selfe to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thy selfe with oile, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

And behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmayd, and they said, Deliuer him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew, and we will destroy the heire also: and so they shall quench my cole which is left, and shall not leaue to my husband neither name nor remainder vpon the earth.

And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? For the king doeth speake this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doeth not fetch home againe his banished.

For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot bee gathered vp againe: neither doeth God respect any person, yet doeth he deuise meanes, that his banished bee not expelled from him.

For the king wil heare, to deliuer his handmayd out of the hand of the man that would destroy mee, and my sonne together out of the inheritance of God:

Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an Angel of God, so is my lord the king to discerne good and bad: therfore the Lord thy God will be with thee.

And the king said, Is not the hand of Ioab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soule liueth, my lord the king, none can turne to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy seruant Ioab, hee bade me, and he put all these wordes in the mouth of thine handmaid:

But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom, for his beautie: from the sole of his foot euen to the crowne of his head, there was no blemish in him.

And when he polled his head, (for it was at euery yeres end that he polled it: because the haire was heauy on him, therefore he polled it) hee weighed the haire of his head at two hundred shekels after the kings weight.

Therefore Absalom sent for Ioab, to haue sent him to the king, but hee would not come to him: and when hee sent againe the second time, hee would not come.

And Absalom answered Ioab, Behold, I sent vnto thee, saying, come hither, that I may send thee to the king to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? It had bene good for mee to haue bene there still: now therefore let me see the kings face: and if there bee any iniquitie in me, let him kill me.

So Ioab came to the King, and told him: and when hee had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himselfe on his face to the ground before the king, and the King kissed Absalom.

And Absalom rose vp earely, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controuersie, came to the king for iudgment, then Absalom called vnto him, and said, Of what citie art thou? And he said, Thy seruant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

And on this maner did Absalom to all Israel, that came to the King for iudgement: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

For thy seruant vowed a vowe while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord shall bring mee againe in deed to Ierusalem, then I will serue the Lord.

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, Dauids counseller, from his citie, euen from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices: and the conspiracie was strong, for the people encreased continually with Absalom.

And Dauid said vnto all his seruants that were with him at Ierusalem, Arise, and let vs flee; for wee shall not else escape from Absalom: make speede to depart, lest hee ouertake vs suddenly, and bring euill vpon vs, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.