¹⁷ And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?

²⁵ And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?

⁶ Do ye thus requite Jehovah, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy father that hath bought thee? He hath made thee, and established thee.

³² And it came to pass, that, when David was come to the top `of the ascent', where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.

³³ And David said unto him, If thou passest on with me, then thou wilt be a burden unto me:

³⁴ but if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant in time past, so will I now be thy servant; then wilt thou defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

³⁵ And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

³⁶ Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me everything that ye shall hear.

³⁷ So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

¹⁷ A friend loveth at all times; And a brother is born for adversity.

²⁴ He that maketh many friends `doeth it' to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.