As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she gained favour with him. The king extended the gold sceptre in his hand towards Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the sceptre.
Joab fell with his face to the ground in homage and blessed the king. ‘Today,’ Joab said, ‘your servant knows I have found favour with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of your servant.’
But David said, ‘Your father certainly knows that I have found favour with you. He has said, “Jonathan must not know of this, or else he will be grieved.” ’ David also swore, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.’
‘Oh, Lord God,’ Joshua said, ‘why did you ever bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites for our destruction? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan!
Your servant has indeed found favour with you, and you have shown me great kindness by saving my life. But I can’t run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die.