¹⁶ And when Hushai of Archi, the friend of David, had come to Absalom, he said to him, Hail, king! hail, king!

¹⁷ To whom Absalom said, This is thy grace to thy friend (This is how thou showest thy loyalty to thy friend?); why wentest thou not with thy friend?

¹⁸ And Hushai answered to Absalom, Nay, for I shall be the servant of him, whom the Lord hath chosen, and all this people, and all Israel; and I shall dwell with him (and I shall stay with him).