"Behold,he has nowhiddenhimselfin oneof the cavesorin anotherplace;and it will be whenhe fallson them at the firstattack, that whoever hears[it] will say,'There has beena slaughteramong the peoplewhofollowAbsalom.'
"And eventhe onewho is valiant,whoseheartis like the heartof a lion,will completelyloseheart;for allIsraelknowsthat your fatheris a mightymanand those whoare with him are valiantmen.
Moreover, Hushaisaid,"You knowyour fatherand his men,that they are mightymenand they are fierce,like a bearrobbedof her cubsin the field.And your fatheris an expertin warfare,and will not spendthe nightwith the people.
Now as for the cisternwhereIshmaelhad castallthe corpsesof the menwhomhe had struckdownbecauseof Gedaliah,it was the one that KingAsahad madeon accountof Baasha,kingof Israel;Ishmaelthe sonof Nethaniahfilledit with the slain.
The menof Aistruckdownabout thirty-sixof their men,and pursuedthem from the gateas faras Shebarimand struckthem downon the descent,so the heartsof the peoplemeltedand becameas water.
"They will comeout afterus untilwe have drawnthem awayfrom the city,for they will say,'[They] are fleeingbeforeus as at the first.'So we will fleebeforethem.
So Daviddepartedfrom thereand escapedto the caveof Adullam;and when his brothersand allhis father'shouseholdheard[of it], they wentdownthereto him.
"Gonow,makemoresure,and investigateand seehis placewherehis hauntis, [and] whohas seenhim there;for I am toldthat he is verycunning.
He cameto the sheepfoldson the way,wherethere[was] a cave;and Saulwentin to relievehimself. Now Davidand his menwere sittingin the innerrecessesof the cave.
