¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” ²⁰ So David got up from the ground, ^(A)washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and ^(B)worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and when he asked, they served him food, and he ate.

²¹ Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was ^[a]alive; but when the child died, you got up and ate food.” ²² And he said, “While the child was still alive, ^(C)I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘^(D)Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’ ²³ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? ^(E)I am going to him, but ^(F)he will not return to me.”