avid bade them to save his son Absalom.

And they went forth and fought, and Absalom with his host was overthrown
and put to flight. And as Absalom fled upon his mule he came under an
oak, and his hair flew about a bough of the tree and held so fast that
Absalom hung by his hair, and the mule ran forth. There came one to Joab
and told him how that Absalom hung by his hair on a bough of an oak, and
Joab said: Why hast thou not slain him? The man said: God forbid that I
should set hand on the king's son; I heard the king say: keep my son
Absalom alive and slay him not. Then Joab went and took three spears,
and fixed them in the heart of Absalom as he hung on the tree by his
hair, and yet after this ten young men, squires of Joab, ran and slew
him. Then Joab trumped and blew the retreat, and retained the people
that they should not pursue the people flying. And they took the body of
Absalom and cast it in a great pit, and laid on him a great stone. And
when David knew that his son was slain, he made great sorrow and said: O
my son Absalom, my son Absalom, who shall grant to me that I may die for
thee, my son Absalom, Absalom my son! It was told to Joab that the king
wept and sorrowed the death of his son Absalom, and all their victory
was turned into sorrow and wailing, insomuch that the people eschewed to
enter into the city. Then Joab entered in to the king and said: Thou
hast this day discouraged the cheer of all thy servants because they
have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and daughters, of thy
wives and of thy concubines, thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest
them that love thee, and showest well this day that thou settest little
by thy dukes and servants; and truly I know now well that if Absalom had
lived and all we thy servants had been slain, thou haddest been pleased.
Therefore, arise now and come forth and satisfy the people; or else I
swear to thee by the good lord that there shall not one of thy servants
abide with thee till to-morrow, and that shall be worse to thee than all
the harms and evils that ever yet fell to thee. Then David the king
arose and sat in the gate, and anon it was shown to all the people that
the king sat in the gate. And then all the people came in tofore the
king, and they of Israel that had beerv with Absalom fled into their
tabernacles, and after came again unto David when they knew that Absalom
was dead.

And after, one Sheba, a cursed man, rebelled and gathered peopl