7. “Now get up! Go out and encourage your soldiers, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the trouble that has come to you from your youth until now! ”
8. So the king got up and sat in the gate, and all the people were told: “Look, the king is sitting in the gate.” Then they all came into the king’s presence.Meanwhile, each Israelite had fled to his tent.
9. All the people among all the tribes of Israel were arguing: “The king delivered us from the grasp of our enemies, and he rescued us from the grasp of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.
10. But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king? ”
11. King David sent word to the priests, Zadok and Abiathar: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace? The talk of all Israel has reached the king at his house.
12. You are my brothers, my flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king? ’
13. And tell Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me and do so severely if you don’t become commander of the army from now on instead of Joab! ’ ”
14. So he won over all the men of Judah, and they sent word to the king: “Come back, you and all your servants.”