¹³ And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against ^(A)the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring ^(B)his banished one home again.

^37 (A)But Absalom fled and went to ^(B)Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of ^(C)Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. ^38 (D)So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

⁷ Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ^(A)‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

⁴⁰ And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.” ⁴¹ Then he hurried to take the bandage away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. ⁴² And he said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction,^[a] therefore ^(A)your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people.’”

² And the ^(A)chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot ^(B)that drew the sword.

^42 (A)When they could not pay, he ^(B)cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; ^(C)you gave me no water for my feet, but ^(D)she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

⁸ Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, ^(A)I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince^[a] over my people Israel.