¹⁶ When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees^(A) saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”^(B)

⁹ Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place.^(A) If he should attack your troops first,^[a] whoever hears about it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’

³¹ And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us,^(A) because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s hand.”

⁸ Each of the four living creatures^(A) had six wings^(B) and was covered with eyes all around,^(C) even under its wings. Day and night^(D) they never stop saying: