Study Desk

So Absalom's young soldiers did what he said. They killed Amnon. But all of David's other sons escaped. Each son got on his mule and escaped.

The king's sons were still on their way into town. But King David got a message about what happened. But the message was, "Absalom has killed all the king's sons! Not one of the sons was left alive."

But then Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah, said, "Don't think that all the king's sons were killed! Only Amnon is dead. Absalom has been planning this from the day that Amnon raped his sister Tamar.

King David was comforted after Amnon died, but he missed Absalom very much.

But King David said, "Absalom must go back to his own house. He cannot come to see me." So Absalom went back to his own house, but he could not go to see the king.

Absalom sent a message to Joab, asking for permission to see the king, but Joab refused to come see him. So Absalom sent a second message to Joab. Again, Joab refused to come see him.

Then Absalom would say, "Look, you are right, but King David will not listen to you."

But he also sent spies to all the tribes of Israel. They told the people, "When you hear the trumpet, say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!'"

Absalom invited 200 men to go with him. They left Jerusalem with him, but they did not know what he was planning.

But Ittai answered the king, "As the Lord lives, and as long as you live, I will stay with you, in life or death!"

But if he says he is not pleased with me, let him do whatever he wants to me."

But if you go back to Jerusalem, you can disagree with Ahithophel and make his advice useless. Tell Absalom, ‘King, I am your servant. I served your father, but now I will serve you.'

The Lord is punishing you because you killed people in Saul's family. You stole Saul's place as king. But now the same bad things are happening to you. The Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom, because you are a murderer."

But the king answered, "What can I do, sons of Zeruiah? Yes, Shimei is cursing me, but the Lord told him to curse me. And who can ask him why he did that?"

I will catch him while he is tired and weak. I will frighten him, and all his people will run away. But I will kill only King David.

But Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Arkite. I also want to hear what he says."

But if David escapes into a city, all the Israelites can bring ropes to that city and pull its walls down into the valley. Not even a small stone will be left in that city."

Absalom and all the Israelites said, "Hushai's advice is better than Ahithophel's." Actually, Ahithophel's advice was good, but they said this because the Lord had decided to make Ahithophel's advice useless. He did this to punish Absalom.

But a boy saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and ran to tell Absalom. Jonathan and Ahimaaz ran away quickly. They arrived at a man's house in Bahurim. The man had a well in his courtyard. Jonathan and Ahimaaz went down into this well.

Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house. They asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman said to Absalom's servants, "They have already crossed over the brook." Absalom's servants then went to look for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but they could not find them. So Absalom's servants went back to Jerusalem.