⁹ Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel.^(A) He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons,^(B) and all the royal officials of Judah,

¹⁷ Jonathan^(A) and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel.^(B) A female servant was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city.

¹¹ Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. ¹² While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel^(A) the Gilonite, David’s counselor,^(B) to come from Giloh,^(C) his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.^(D)

Absalom Kills Amnon

²³ Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers^(A) were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there. ²⁴ Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?”

²⁵ “No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing.

²⁶ Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.”

The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons.