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But Absalom urged him [again], and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, responded, "Do not let my lord assume that all the king's sons have been put to death; for only Amnon is dead. This act of revenge has been on Absalom's mind since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar.

But Absalom fled and went to [his mother's father] Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

So Joab sent word to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there and told her, "Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning clothes, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has for many days been in mourning for the dead.

"Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled and fought in the field. There was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him.

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

"For we will certainly die and are like water that is spilled on the ground and cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not [simply] take away life, but devises plans so that the one who is banished is not driven away from Him.

"In order to change the appearance of things [between Absalom and you, his father] your servant Joab did this thing. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth."

So Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him; even when he sent again a second time, he [still] would not come.

Then Absalom would say to him, "See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man appointed as the king's agent to listen to you."

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, you shall say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'"

So the king left, and all his household with him. But the king left behind ten women who were concubines to take care of the house (palace).

But Ittai answered the king, "As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, most certainly wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or life, there will your servant be also."

"But if He should say, 'I have no delight in you,' then here I am; let Him do to me what seems good to Him."

"But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in the past, so I will be your servant now;' then you can thwart (make useless) the advice of Ahithophel for me.

But the king said, "What business is this of yours, O sons of Zeruiah? If Shimei is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' then who should say, 'Why have you done so?'"

"But I advise that all [the men of] Israel be summoned to you, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], like the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle.

"Now then, send word quickly and tell David, 'Do not spend the night at the fords [on the west side of the Jordan] in the wilderness, but by all means cross over [to the east side of the river], or else the king and all the people with him will be destroyed [if Ahithophel is allowed by Absalom to lead an attack].'"

But a boy saw them and told Absalom; so the two of them left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and [with his permission] they went down into it.

But the men said, "You should not go out [to battle with us]. For if in fact we retreat, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city [of Mahanaim]."