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[176]
When they had done as they were commanded, the rest of his brethren
were astonished and disturbed, and were afraid for themselves, so they
immediately got on horseback, and rode away to their father; but somebody
there was who prevented them, and told their father they were all slain
by Absalom; whereupon he was overcome with sorrow, as for so many of his
sons that were destroyed at once, and that by their brother also; and by
this consideration, that it was their brother that appeared to have slain
them, he aggravated his sorrow for them. So he neither inquired what was
the cause of this slaughter, nor staid to hear any thing else, which yet
it was but reasonable to have done, when so very great, and by that greatness
so incredible, a misfortune was related to him: he rent his clothes and
threw himself upon the ground, and there lay lamenting the loss of all
his sons, both those who, as he was informed, were slain, and of him who
slew them. But Jonadab, the son of his brother Shemeah, entreated him not
to indulge his sorrow so far, for as to the rest of his sons he did not
believe that they were slain, for he found no cause for such a suspicion;
but he said it might deserve inquiry as to Amnon, for it was not unlikely
that Absalom might venture to kill him on account of the injury he had
offered to Tamar. In the mean time, a great noise of horses, and a tumult
of some people that were coming, turned their attention to them; they were
the king's sons, who were fled away from the feast. So their father met
them as they were in their grief, and he himself grieved with them; but
it was more than he expected to see those his sons again, whom he had a
little before heard to have perished. However, their were tears on both
sides; they lamenting their brother who was killed, and the king lamenting
his son, who was killed also; but Absalom fled to Geshur, to his grandfather
by his mother's side, who was king of that country, and he remained with
him three whole years.
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