³ But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten^(A) thousand of us.^[a] It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”^(B)

⁴ The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.”

So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands.

¹⁶ a wise woman^(A) called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.”

⁷ The king spared Mephibosheth^(A) son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath^(B) before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul.