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But called his seruant that serued him, & sayd, Put this woman now out from me, & locke the doore after her.

(And she had a garment of diuers coulours vpon her: for with such garments were the Kings daughters that were virgins, apparelled) Then his seruant brought her out, and locked the doore after her.

And Absalom sayde vnto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

And Absalom came to the King and sayd, Beholde now, thy seruant hath sheepesherers: I pray thee, that the King with his seruants would goe with thy seruant.

Now had Absalom commanded his seruants, saying, Marke now when Amnons heart is merry with wine, & when I say vnto you, Smite Amnon, kil him, feare not, for haue not I commanded you? be bold therefore, & play the men.

And the seruantes of Absalom did vnto Amnon, as Absalom had commanded: and al the Kings sonnes arose, and euery man gate him vp vpon his mule, and fled.

Then the King arose, & tare his garments, and lay on the ground, & all his seruants stoode by with their clothes rent.

And Ionadab the sonne of Shimeah Dauids brother answered and sayde, Let not my lord suppose that they haue slayne all the yong men the Kings sonnes: for Amnon onely is dead, because Absalom had reported so, since hee forced his sister Tamar.

Then Absalom fled: and the yong man that kept the watch, lift vp his eyes, and looked, and behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behinde him.

And assoone as hee had left speaking, behold, the Kings sonnes came, & lift vp their voyces, and wept: and the King also and all his seruants wept exceedingly sore.

But Absalom fled away, & went to Talmai the sonne of Ammihur King of Geshur: and Dauid mourned for his sonne euery day.

And beholde, the whole familie is risen against thine handmayde, and they sayde, Deliuer him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the soule of his brother whome hee slewe, that we may destroy the heire also: so they shall quenche my sparkle which is left, and shall not leaue to mine husband neither name nor posteritie vpon the earth.

Then the woman of Tekoah said vnto the King, My lord, O King, this trespas be on me, & on my fathers house, and the King and his throne be giltlesse.

Then the woman sayde, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? or why doeth the King, as one which is faultie, speake this thing, that he will not bring againe his banished?

Nowe therefore that I am come to speake of this thing vnto my lord the King, the cause is that the people haue made me afrayd: therefore thine handmayde sayd, Nowe will I speake vnto the King: it may be that the King will perfourme the request of his handmayde.

For the King wil heare, to deliuer his handmayde out of the hande of the man that woulde destroy mee, and also my sonne from the inheritance of God.

And Ioab fell to the grounde on his face, and bowed himselfe, & thanked the King. Then Ioab sayde, This day thy seruant knoweth, that I haue found grace in thy sight, my lord the King, in that the King hath fulfilled the request of his seruant.

And the King sayde, Let him turne to his owne house, & not see my face. So Absalom turned to his owne house, & saw not the Kings face.

Nowe in all Israel there was none to be so much praysed for beautie as Absalom: from the sole of his foote euen to the toppe of his head there was no blemish in him.

And when he polled his head, (for at euery yeeres ende he polled it: because it was too heauie for him, therefore he polled it) he weyghed the heare of his head at two hundreth shekels by the Kings weight.