¹⁶ So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ^(A)ten concubines to keep the house.

²¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to ^(A)your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and ^(B)the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.” ²² So they pitched a tent for Absalom ^(C)on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines ^(D)in the sight of all Israel.

Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, ^(A)when he fled from Absalom his son.

³ And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took ^(A)the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.

^2 (A)Do not be conformed to this world,^[a] but be transformed by ^(B)the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may ^(C)discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.^[b]

¹¹ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

⁴² And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife.

²⁷ And now let this ^(A)present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord.

¹⁰ And Barak called out ^(A)Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.