17. His older house servants arose [in the night] and went to him to raise him up from the floor, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
18. And on the seventh day the child died. David's servants feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, While the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our voices; will he then harm himself if we tell him the child is dead?
19. But when David saw that his servants whispered, he perceived that the child was dead. So he said to them, Is the child dead? And they said, He is.
20. Then David arose from the floor, washed, anointed himself, changed his apparel, and went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.
21. Then his servants said to him, What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept while the child was alive, but when the child was dead, you arose and ate food.