⁴ “I will do whatever you think is best,” the king replied to them. So he stood beside the gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and thousands.

²⁴ David was sitting between the two gates^(A) when the watchman went up to the roof of the gate and over to the wall.^(B) The watchman looked out and saw a man running alone.

^33 [a]The king was deeply moved and went up to the gate chamber and wept. As he walked, he cried, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”^(A)