2
And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the peopleheardsay that day how the king was grieved for his son.
3
And the peoplegat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
4
But the kingcovered his face, and the kingcried with a loudvoice, O my sonAbsalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
5
And Joabcame into the house to the king, and said , Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which 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;
6
In that thou lovest thine enemies , and hatest thy friends . For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive , that ifAbsalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well*.
7
Now therefore arise , go forth , and speakcomfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth , there will not tarryone with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.
8
Then the kingarose , and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people,saying , Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the peoplecamebefore the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
9
And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel,saying , The kingsaved us out of the hand of our enemies , and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.
10
And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the kingback ?
11
And kingDavidsent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests,saying , Speak unto the elders of Judah,saying , Why are ye the last to bring the kingback to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.
12
Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?