7 Now go and reassure your men. I swear by the Lord's name that if you don't, not one of them will be with you by tomorrow morning. That would be the worst disaster you have suffered in all your life.”
8 Then the king got up, and went and sat near the city gate. His men heard that he was there, and they all gathered round him.Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their own homes.
9 All over the country they started quarrelling among themselves. “King David saved us from our enemies,” they said to one another. “He rescued us from the Philistines, but now he has fled from Absalom and left the country.
10 We anointed Absalom as our king, but he has been killed in battle. So why doesn't somebody try to bring King David back?”
11 The news of what the Israelites were saying reached King David. So he sent the priests Zadok and Abiathar to ask the leaders of Judah, “Why should you be the last to help bring the king back to his palace?
12 You are my relatives, my own flesh and blood; why should you be the last to bring me back?”
13 David also told them to say to Amasa, “You are my relative. From now on I am putting you in charge of the army in place of Joab. May God strike me dead if I don't!”