² Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him, “What city are you from?” The person would answer, “I, your servant,^[a] am from one of the tribes of Israel.” ³ Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate.^[b] But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.” ⁴ Absalom would then say, “If only they would make me^[c] a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint^[d] could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.”