they said, "While the
child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he paid no attention to our
voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead, for he will do some
harm!"

But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, he knew
that the child was dead, and said to his servants, "Is the child dead?"
They replied, "He is dead." Then David rose from the earth, washed and
put oil on himself, changed his clothes, and went into the temple of
Jehovah and worshipped. After that he went to his own house; and he
asked for bread, and when they set it before him, he ate.

His servants said to him, "What is this you have done? You ate no food
and cried for the child while it was alive, but when the child died, you
rose and ate bread." He replied, "While the child was yet alive, I ate
no food and cried aloud, for I said, 'Who knows whether Jehovah will
have mercy, so that the child will live?' But now that he is dead, why
should I eat no food? Can I bring him back? I am going to him, but he
will not come back to me."

ABSALOM THE UNGRATEFUL SON

Some time later Absalom, David's son, prepared a chariot and horses and
fifty men to run before him. He used to rise early and stand beside the
highway which led to the city gate. He would call to him every man who
had a suit that was to come before the ruler for judgment and say, "Of
what city are you?" When the man replied, "Your servant is from one of
the tribes of Israel," Absalom would say to him, "Your claims are good
and right; but the ruler has not appointed any one to hear you. Oh, that
some one would make me judge in the land, so that every man who has any
complaint or cause would come to me, and I would see that he received
justice!" And whenever a man came near to bow before him, he would put
out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. In this way Absalom
treated all the Israelites who came to David for justice. Thus, Absalom
stole from David the hearts of the Israelites.

At the end of four years, Absalom said to his father, "I should like to
go and keep my promise, which I have made to Jehovah in Hebron." David
said to him, "Go in peace." So he went to Hebron; but Absalom sent
messengers to all the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the
sound of the trumpet, cry, 'Absalom has become ruler in Hebron.'" With
Absalom there went two hundred men from Jerusalem, who were invited and
went innocently, knowing nothing at all of what he was going to do.