7 `And now, rise, go out and speak unto the heart of thy servants, for by Jehovah I have sworn, that--thou art not going out--there doth not lodge a man with thee to-night; and this [is] worse for thee than all the evil that hath come upon thee from thy youth till now.'
8 And the king riseth, and sitteth in the gate, and to all the people they have declared, saying, `Lo, the king is sitting in the gate;' and all the people come in before the king, and Israel hath fled, each to his tents.
9 And it cometh to pass, all the people are contending through all the tribes of Israel, saying, `The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, yea, he himself delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines, and now he hath fled outof the land because of Absalom,
10 and Absalom whom we anointed over us [is] dead in battle, and now, why are ye silent--to bring back the king?'
11 And king David sent unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, saying, `Speak ye unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye last to bring back the king unto his house? (and the word of all Israel hath come unto the king, unto his house;)
12 my brethren ye [are], my bone and my flesh ye [are], and why are ye last to bring back the king?
13 And to Amasa say ye, Art not thou my bone and my flesh? Thus doth God do to me, and thus He doth add, if thou art not head of the host before me all the days instead of Joab.'