This is the Bible Book Club.

I'm Susan.

And I'm Heather.

And we're in the book of Second Samuel.

Welcome to the club.

In chapters 16 through 18, David was forced to flee Jerusalem.

And he met people on the road who showed their loyalty or their disdain.

In Chapter 16, he meets Zeba, who brought provisions for the men.

Ziba was Maphibisheth's servant.

Then he met Shimmy, who cursed him.

Shimmy was a Benjaminite and a Saul supporter.

Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, Absalom's advisor, Ahithafel, advised him to sleep with

David's ten concubines. Then Absalom was tricked into taking bad advice from Hushie, David's spy,

which gave David and his men time to cross over the Jordan. When Ahithafel heard that Absalom took

Husha's advice over his, he committed suicide.

Then a battle began. Absalom pursued David across the Jordan. David then rallied the troops and

sent them off, but not before begging them to be gentle with his son, Absalom. David's troops routed

Absalom's, and Absalom got caught by his

hair in a tree, and Joab killed him. Oh, I know, really sad. This is a lot. Scene one, David's heart is

torn. This is chapter 18 continued, so we're in the same story. Verse 19. Now, Ahimah's son of Zeduk said, let me run and take the

news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.

You are not the one to take the news today, Joab told him. You may take the news another time,

...