2 Samuel 19:1-8

21st Century King James Version

³ And the people got themselves by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

⁴ But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

⁵ And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, “Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants who this day have saved thy life and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives and the lives of thy concubines,

⁶ in that thou lovest thine enemies and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day that thou regardest neither princes nor servants; for this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

⁷ Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortingly unto thy servants. For I swear by the Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night; and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.”

⁸ Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, “Behold, the king doth sit in the gate.” And all the people came before the king, for Israel had fled every man to his tent.