Absalom; whereupon he was overcome with sorrow, as for so
many of his sons that were destroyed at once, and that by their brother
also; and by this consideration, that it was their brother that appeared
to have slain them, he aggravated his sorrow for them. So he neither
inquired what was the cause of this slaughter, nor staid to hear any
thing else, which yet it was but reasonable to have done, when so very
great, and by that greatness so incredible, a misfortune was related to
him: he rent his clothes and threw himself upon the ground, and there
lay lamenting the loss of all his sons, both those who, as he was
informed, were slain, and of him who slew them. But Jonadab, the son of
his brother Shemeah, entreated him not to indulge his sorrow so far, for
as to the rest of his sons he did not believe that they were slain, for
he found no cause for such a suspicion; but he said it might deserve
inquiry as to Amnon, for it was not unlikely that Absalom might venture
to kill him on account of the injury he had offered to Tamar. In the
mean time, a great noise of horses, and a tumult of some people that
were coming, turned their attention to them; they were the king's sons,
who were fled away from the feast. So their father met them as they were
in their grief, and he himself grieved with them; but it was more than
he expected to see those his sons again, whom he had a little before
heard to have perished. However, their were tears on both sides; they
lamenting their brother who was killed, and the king lamenting his son,
who was killed also; but Absalom fled to Geshur, to his grandfather by
his mother's side, who was king of that country, and he remained with
him three whole years.

4. Now David had a design to send to Absalom, not that he should come to
be punished, but that he might be with him, for the effects of his anger
were abated by length of time. It was Joab, the captain of his host,
that chiefly persuaded him so to do; for he suborned an ordinary woman,
that was stricken in age, to go to the king in mourning apparel, who
said thus to him:--That two of her sons, in a coarse way, had some
difference between them, and that in the progress of that difference
they came to an open quarrel, and that one was smitten by the other, and
was dead; and she desired him to interpose in this case, and to do her
the favor to save this her son from her kindred, who were very zealous
to have him that had slain his brother put to dea