A special thanks to Michale for doing this on holiday and staying up very late to find time to do this.
14: Yoav organises a reconciliation between Avshalom & David through the
acting of a wise woman from Tekoa. Avshalom is eventually allowed back into
Yerushalayim and after setting Yoav’s field on fire, gets to meet David.
15: Avshalom “steals the heart of the men of Israel” (15:6) by promising
them that only he will do something about the people’s problems – he
eventually starts a rebellion (he was a real politician – and I suppose his
stunning good looks helped!). David flees Yerushalayim whilst the ark is
returned there.
16: David gives Tziva all of Mephiboshet’s posessions and is cursed by
Shimi, another member of Shaul’s family. We later see inside Avshalom’s camp
with David’s spy Chushai and the traitor Achitophel.
17: Chushai’s advice to Avshalom is followed over Achitophel’s. Achitophel
soon realises that he will be killed for treachery so commits suicide.
Avshalom and David’s armies face each other at Machanayim.
18: David’s army wins and Avshalom gets his hair in a twist; he was finished
off by Yoav and co. Against the initial advice of Yoav, Achimaatz tells
David what has happened.
19 – David returns to Jerusalem and gains the loyalty of the people again. He spares Shimmi ben Geira, and Tziva’s slander is revealed. David rewards Barzillai and a machlokes errupts between the men of Yehudah and the men of Israel
