⁶ For your haters, it seems, are dear to you, and your friends are hated. For you have made it clear that captains and servants are nothing to you: and now I see that if Absalom was living and we had all been dead today, it would have been right in your eyes.

²⁴ Then Joab came to the king, and said, What have you done? when Abner came to you why did you send him away and let him go?

²⁵ Is it not clear to you that Abner, the son of Ner, came with deceit to get knowledge of your going out and your coming in and of all you are doing?

¹⁸ He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;

⁹ A false witness will not go without punishment, and the breather out of deceit will be cut off.

¹⁰ Material comfort is not good for the foolish; much less for a servant to be put over rulers.

⁵ And Paul said, Brother, I had no idea that he was the high priest: for it has been said, You may not say evil about the ruler of your people.