Knowest thou not, O my lord and king, that revolt will stalk with head on high under thy descendants, if, while thou art still alive and before thy gray head has disappeared, thou riddest not the country of thy son? Is it not true that if the King David had put to death his son Amnon for having outraged his sister, Absalom would not have required to fly to Geshur, to nourish hatred in his breast, to revolt against his father, and David would not have suffered all the misfortune which he suffered? And all this occurred because his father did not wish to vex him at the time, and because he said to him, Why actest thou thus? his heart became so inflamed with pride thereby that he no more feared to offend, and abused his sister Tamar. Thou too shalt fall in the same way, and the advice of thy evil counsellors will not protect thee. Else thinkest thou that thy son is better than Absalom?
The effect of this argument on the king is counteracted by the Sixth Vazīr, who says: