II Samuel 15

¹And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

²And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that, when any man had a suit which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

³And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.

⁴Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!

⁵And it was so, that, when any man came nigh to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.

⁶And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto Jehovah, in Hebron.

⁸For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If Jehovah shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve Jehovah.

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

¹⁰But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom is king in Hebron.

¹¹And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they knew not anything.

¹²And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

¹³And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

¹⁴And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

¹⁵And the king’s servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall choose.

¹⁶And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, that were concubines, to keep the house.

¹⁷And the king went forth, and all the people after him; and they tarried in Beth-merhak.

¹⁸And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

¹⁹Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return, and abide with the king: for thou art a foreigner, and also an exile; return to thine own place.

²⁰Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I may? return thou, and take back thy brethren; mercy and truth be with thee.

²¹And Ittai answered the king, and said, As Jehovah liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there also will thy servant be.

²²And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

²³And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.

²⁴And, lo, Zadok alsocame, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.

²⁵And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favor in the eyes of Jehovah, he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation:

²⁶but if he say thus, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.

²⁷The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

²⁸See, I will tarry at the fords of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.

²⁹Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they abode there.

³⁰And David went up by the ascent of themount ofOlives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered, and went barefoot: and all the people that were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

³¹And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Jehovah, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

³²And it came to pass, that, when David was come to the top of the ascent, where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.

³³And David said unto him, If thou passest on with me, then thou wilt be a burden unto me:

³⁴but if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father’s servant in time past, so will I now be thy servant; then wilt thou defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

³⁵And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king’s house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

³⁶Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them ye shall send unto me everything that ye shall hear.

³⁷So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

II Samuel 15

¹And it cometh to pass afterwards, that Absalom prepareth for himself a chariot, and horses, and fifty men are running before him;

²and Absalom hath risen early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate, and it cometh to pass, every man who hath a pleading to come unto the king for judgment, that Absalom calleth unto him, and saith, `Of what city art thou?' and he saith, `Of one of the tribes of Israel is thy servant.'

³And Absalom saith unto him, `See, thy matters are good and straightforwardand there is none hearkening to thee from the king.'

⁴And Absalom saith, `Who doth make me a judge in the land, that unto me doth come every man who hath a plea and judgment? then I have declared him righteous.'

⁵And it hath come to pass, in the drawing nearing of any one to bow himself to him, that he hath put forth his hand, and laid hold on him, and given a kiss to him;

⁶and Absalom doth according to this thing to all Israel who come in for judgment unto the king, and Absalom stealeth the heart of the men of Israel.

⁷And it cometh to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom saith unto the king, `Let me go, I pray thee, and I complete my vow, that I vowed to Jehovah in Hebron,

⁸for a vow hath thy servant vowed in my dwelling in Geshur, in Aram, saying, If Jehovah doth certainly bring me back to Jerusalem, then I have served Jehovah.'

⁹And the king saith to him, `Go in peace;' and he riseth and goeth to Hebron,

¹⁰and Absalom sendeth spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, `At your hearing the voice of the trumpet, then ye have said, Absalom hath reigned in Hebron.'

¹¹And with Absalom have gone two hundred men, out of Jerusalem, invited ones, and they are going in their simplicity, and have not known anything;

¹²and Absalom sendeth Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counsellor of David, out of his city, out of Gilo, in his sacrificing sacrifices; and the conspiracy is strong, and the people are going and increasing with Absalom.

¹³And he who is declaring tidings cometh in unto David, saying, `The heart of the men of Israel hath been after Absalom.'

¹⁴And David saith to all his servants who are with him in Jerusalem, `Rise, and we flee, for we have no escape from the face of Absalom; haste to go, lest he hasten, and have overtaken us, and forced on us evil, and smitten the city by the mouth of the sword.'

¹⁵And the servants of the king say unto the king, `According to all that my lord the king choosethlo, thy servants do .'

¹⁶And the king goeth out, and all his household at his feet, and the king leaveth ten womenconcubinesto keep the house.

¹⁷And the king goeth out, and all the people at his feet, and they stand still at the farthest off house.

¹⁸And all his servants are passing on at his side, and all the Cherethite, and all the Pelethite, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his feet from Gath, are passing on at the front of the king.

¹⁹And the king saith unto Ittai the Gittite, `Why dost thou gothou alsowith us? turn backand abide with the king, for thou art a stranger, and also an exile thouto thy place.

²⁰Yesterday is thy coming in, and to-day I move thee to go with us, and I am going on that which I am going! turn back, and take back thy brethren with thee, kindness and truth.'

²¹And Ittai answereth the king and saith, `Jehovah liveth, and my lord the king liveth, surely in the place where my lord the king isif for death, if for life, surely there is thy servant.'

²²And David saith unto Ittai, `Go and pass over;' and Ittai the Gittite passeth over, and all his men, and all the infants who are with him.

²³And all the land are weepinga great voice, and all the people are passing over; and the king is passing over through the brook Kidron, and all the people are passing over on the front of the way of the wilderness;

²⁴and lo, also Zadok, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they make the ark of God firm, and Abiathar goeth up, till the completion of all the people to pass over out of the city.

²⁵And the king saith to Zadok, `Take back the ark of God to the city; if I find grace in the eyes of Jehovah, then He hath brought me back, and shewn me it and His habitation;

²⁶and if thus He say, I have not delighted in thee; here am I, He doth to me as is good in His eyes.'

²⁷And the king saith unto Zadok the priest, `Art thou a seer? turn back to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar, your two sons with you;

²⁸see ye, I am tarrying in the plains of the wilderness till the coming in of a word from you to declare to me.'

²⁹And Zadok taketh backand Abiatharthe ark of God to Jerusalem, and they abide there.

³⁰And David is going up in the ascent of the olives, going up and weeping, and he hath the head covered, and he is going barefooted, and all the people who are with him have covered each his head, and have gone up, going up and weeping;

³¹and David declared, saying, `Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom;' and David saith, `Make foolish, I pray Thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Jehovah.'

³²And it cometh to pass, David hath come unto the top, where he boweth himself to God, and lo, to meet him is Hushai the Archite, his coat rent, and earth on his head;

³³and David saith to him, `If thou hast passed on with me then thou hast been on me for a burden,

³⁴and if to the city thou dost turn back, and hast said to Absalom, Thy servant I am, O king; servant of thy father I am also hitherto, and now, I am also thy servant; then thou hast made void for me the counsel of Ahithophel;

³⁵and are there not with thee there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it hath been, the whole of the matter that thou hearest from the house of the king thou dost declare to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests.

³⁶Lo, there with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz to Zadok, and Jonathan to Abiathar, and ye have sent by their hand unto me anything that ye hear.'

³⁷And Hushai, David's friend, cometh in to the city, and Absalom cometh in to Jerusalem.