And Ish-bosheth could no longer say a word in response to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

But in the same night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

In accordance with all these words and all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

For the sake of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to let Your servant know.

Now then, Lord God, the word that You have spoken about Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do just as You have spoken,

Now then, Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth; and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

And Hadadezer sent word and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer led them.

But the woman conceived; so she sent word and informed David, and said, “I am pregnant.”

Then David sent word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David.

Why have you despised the word of the Lord, by doing evil in His sight? You have struck and killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you have taken his wife as your wife, and you have slaughtered him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the Lord’s sake.

And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; so it has happened according to your servant’s word.”

Then go to the king and speak to him in this way.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.”

The woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.

Now then, the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your servant said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his slave.

Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’”

So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman replied, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant.

Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent word again a second time, but he would not come.

See, I am going to wait at the river crossing places of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

Now the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was taken as though one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.

Then King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house?

So he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.”

But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, “We have ten parts in the king, therefore we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Was it not our advice first to bring back our king?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.