¹³ The woman said, Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.

⁷ Nathan said to David, "You are the man. This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

³⁷ But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. [David] mourned for his son every day.

³⁸ So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

² The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew sword.

⁴⁰ As your servant was busy here and there, he was gone. The king of Israel said to him, So shall your judgment be; yourself have decided it.

⁴¹ He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.

⁴² He said to him, Thus says Yahweh, Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.

⁸ Now therefore thus shall you tell my servant David, Thus says Yahweh of Hosts, I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people, over Israel;

⁴² When they couldn't pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?"

⁴³ Simon answered, "He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most." He said to him, "You have judged correctly."

⁴⁴ Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head.