2 Samuel 15

¹And after this it happened that Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

²And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road to the gate. And whenever any man had a lawsuit to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, 'From what city are you?' And he would say, 'From one of the tribes of Israel -- your servant.'

³And Absalom said to him, 'See, your words are good and right, but there is no one appointed by the king to hear you.'

⁴And Absalom would say, 'Who will appoint me judge in the land? Every man who has a case and a judgment could come to me, and I would give him justice.'

⁵And whenever a man came near to bow down before him, he would stretch out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

⁶And Absalom did this manner to all Israel who came to the king for judgment, and Absalom stole the heart of the men of Israel.

⁷And it happened at the end of four years that Absalom said to the king, 'Please let me go and fulfill my vow that I vowed to the LORD in Hebron.'

⁸For your servant made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If the LORD will surely bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.'

⁹And the king said to him, 'Go in peace.' So he arose and went to Hebron.

¹⁰And Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, 'As soon as you hear the sound of the shofar, you shall say, "Absalom has become king in Hebron."'

¹¹With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who had been invited, going in all innocence, and they did not know anything at all.

¹²And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh, while Absalom was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people kept increasing with Absalom.

¹³And a messenger came to David, saying, 'The heart of the men of Israel has gone after Absalom.'

¹⁴And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, 'Arise, and let us flee, for there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Hurry to go, lest he move quickly and overtake us and thrust calamity upon us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.'

¹⁵And the servants of the king said to the king, 'According to all that my lord the king shall choose -- behold, your servants.'

¹⁶And the king went out with all his household following after him, and the king left ten concubines to keep the house.

¹⁷And the king went out, and all the people on foot after him, and they halted at the House of the Far Place.

¹⁸And all his servants were passing beside him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come following him from Gath, were passing before the king.

¹⁹And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, 'Why do you also go with us? Return and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place.

²⁰Yesterday you came, and today should I make you wander with us, going wherever I go? Return, and take back your brothers with you. May loyal love and faithfulness be with you.

²¹But Ittai answered the king and said, 'As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether in death or in life, even there also will your servant be.'

²²And David said to Ittai, 'Go and cross over.' So Ittai the Gittite crossed over, and all his men and all the children who were with him.

²³And all the land wept with a loud voice, and all the people were crossing over, and the king crossed over the Wadi Kidron, and all the people were crossing over toward the road to the wilderness.

²⁴And behold, Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, were carrying the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing from the city.

²⁵And the king said to Zadok, 'Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place.'

²⁶But if he says, 'I have no delight in you,' behold, here I am; let him do to me as seems good in his eyes.

²⁷And the king said to Zadok the priest, 'Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar — your two sons with you.

²⁸See, I am waiting at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.

²⁹And Zadok and Abiathar brought back the ark of God to Jerusalem, and they stayed there.

³⁰And David was going up the ascent of the Olives, going up and weeping, with his head covered; and he went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered each man his head and went up, going up and weeping.

³¹Now it was reported to David, saying, 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.' And David said, 'Please, O LORD, turn the counsel of Ahithophel to foolishness.'

³²And it happened, when David came to the summit where one worships God, that Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his robe torn and earth upon his head.

³³And David said to him, 'If you cross over with me, you will be a burden to me.'

³⁴But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; I was your father's servant formerly, and now I am your servant,' then you may frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

³⁵Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you? And so every matter that you hear from the king's house you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

³⁶There with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz, who belongs to Zadok, and Jonathan, who belongs to Abiathar; and by their hand you shall send to me everything that you hear.

³⁷So Hushai, David's friend, came to the city, just as Absalom was coming into Jerusalem.