⁷ They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer,^(A) they will always be your servants.”

⁷ They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer,^(A) they will always be your servants.”

² He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate.^(A) Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” ³ Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.”^{(B) 4} And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land!^(C) Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.”

⁵ Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. ⁶ Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts^(D) of the people of Israel.