⁷ And at the end of four^[a] years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron.

¹³ “But woe ^(A)to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you ^(B)shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you ^(C)neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.^[a]

⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

^38 (A)So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

²⁴ And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” ²⁵ But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. ²⁶ Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

¹³ Then Samuel took ^(A)the horn of oil ^(B)and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. ^(C)And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

David Anointed King

16 The Lord said to Samuel, ^(A)“How long will you grieve over Saul, since ^(B)I have rejected him from being king over Israel? ^(C)Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, ^(D)for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” ² And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ^(E)‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’