II Samuel 15

¹Then, after these things, Absalom obtained for himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men who went before him.

²And rising up in the morning, Absalom was standing beside the entrance of the gate. And when there was any man who had a dispute that might go before the king’s judgment, Absalom would call him to him, and would say, “Which city are you from?” And responding, he would say, “I am your servant, from a certain tribe of Israel.”

³And Absalom would answer him: “Your words seem good and just to me. But there is no one appointed by the king to hear you.” And Absalom would say:

⁴“Who may appoint me judge over the land, so that all those who have a dispute might come to me, and I might judge justly.”

⁵Then too, when a man would draw near to him, so that he might greet him, he would extend his hand, and taking hold of him, he would kiss him.

⁶And he was doing this to all those of Israel arriving for judgment to be heard by the king. And he solicited the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷Then, after forty years, Absalom said to king David: “I should go and pay my vows, which I have vowed to the Lord at Hebron.

⁸For your servant made a vow, when he was in Geshur of Syria, saying: If the Lord will lead me back to Jerusalem, I will sacrifice to the Lord.”

⁹And king David said to him, “Go in peace.” And he rose up and went away to Hebron.

¹⁰Then Absalom sent scouts into all the tribes of Israel, saying: “As soon as you hear the blare of the trumpet, say: ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron.’ ”

¹¹Now having been called, two hundred men from Jerusalem went forth with Absalom, going in simplicity of heart and being entirely ignorant of the plan.

¹²Absalom also summoned Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counselor of David, from his city, Giloh. And when he was immolating victims, a very strong oath was sworn, and the people, hurrying together, joined with Absalom.

¹³Then a messenger went to David, saying, “With their whole heart, all of Israel is following Absalom.”

¹⁴And David said to his servants, who were with him in Jerusalem: “Rise up, let us flee! For otherwise there will be no escape for us from the face of Absalom. Hurry to depart, lest perhaps, upon arriving, he may seize us, and force ruin upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

¹⁵And the servants of the king said to him, “Everything whatsoever that our lord the king will command, we your servants shall carry out willingly.”

¹⁶Therefore, the king departed, with his entire household on foot. And the king left behind ten women of the concubines to care for the house.

¹⁷And having gone forth on foot, the king and all of Israel stood at a distance from the house.

¹⁸And all his servants were walking beside him. And the legions of the Cerethites and Phelethites, and all the Gittites, powerful fighters, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath on foot, were preceding the king.

¹⁹Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite: “Why do you come with us? Return and live with the king. For you are a stranger, and you departed from your own place.

²⁰You arrived yesterday. And today should you be compelled to go away with us? For I should go to the place where I am going. But you should return, and lead your own brothers back with you. And the Lord will show mercy and truth to you, because you have shown grace and faith.”

²¹And Ittai responded to the king, by saying, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, in whatever place you will be, my lord the king, whether in death or in life, your servant will be there.”

²²And David said to Ittai, “Come, and pass over.” And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all the men who were with him, and the rest of the multitude.

²³And they all wept with a great voice, and all the people passed over. The king also passed over the torrent Kidron. And all the people advanced opposite the way which looks out toward the desert.

²⁴Now Zadok the priest also went, and all the Levites went with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God. And Abiathar went up, until all the people who had departed from the city had gone by.

²⁵And the king said to Zadok: “Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will lead me back. And he will show it to me in his tabernacle.

²⁶But if he will say to me, ‘You are not pleasing,’ I am ready. Let him do whatever is good in his own sight.”

²⁷And the king said to Zadok the priest: “O seer, return into the city in peace. And let your son Ahimaaz, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you.

²⁸Behold, I will hide in the plains of the desert, until word from you may arrive to inform me.”

²⁹Therefore, Zadok and Abiathar carried back the ark of God into Jerusalem, and they remained there.

³⁰But David ascended to the Mount of Olives, climbing and weeping, advancing with bare feet and with his head covered. Moreover, all the people who were with him ascended, weeping with their heads covered.

³¹Then it was reported to David that Ahithophel also had joined in swearing with Absalom. And David said, “ O Lord, I beg you, to uncover the foolishness of the counsel of Ahithophel.”

³²And when David had ascended to the summit of the mountain, where he was going to adore the Lord, behold Hushai the Archite met him, with his garment torn and his head covered with soil.

³³And David said to him: “If you come with me, you will be a burden to me.

³⁴But if you return to the city, and you say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king; just as I have been the servant of your father, so too will I be your servant,’ you will destroy the counsel of Ahithophel

³⁵And you have with you the priests Zadok and Abiathar. And any word whatsoever that you will hear from the house of the king, you shall reveal it to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests.

³⁶Now with them are their two sons Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar. And you shall send to me by them every word that you will have heard.”

³⁷Therefore, Hushai, the friend of David, went into the city. And Absalom also entered into Jerusalem.

II Samuel 15

¹Now after these things Absalom made himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

²And Absalom rising up early stood by the entrance of the gate, and when any man had business to come to the king's judgment, Absalom called him to him, and said: Of what city art thou? He answered, and said: Thy servant is of such tribe of Israel.

³And Absalom answered him: Thy words seem to me good and just. But there is no man appointed by the king to hear thee. And Absalom said:

⁴O that they would make me judge over the land, that all that have business might come to me, that I might do them justice.

⁵Moreover when any man came to him to salute him, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.

⁶And this he did to all Israel that came for judgment, to be heard by the king, and he enticed the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷And after forty years, Absalom said to king David: Let me go, and pay my vows which I have vowed to the Lord in Hebron.

⁸For thy servant made a vow, when he was in Gessur of Syria, saying: If the Lord shall bring me again into Jerusalem, I will offer sacrifice to the Lord.

⁹And king David said to him: Go in peace. And he arose, and went to Hebron.

¹⁰And Absalom sent spies into all the tribes of Israel, saying: As soon as you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, say ye: Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

¹¹Now there went with Absalom two hundred men out of Jerusalem that were called, going with simplicity of heart, and knowing nothing of the design.

¹²Absalom also sent for Achitophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city Gilo. And while he was offering sacrifices, there was a strong conspiracy, and the people running together increased with Absalom.

¹³And there came a messenger to David, saying: All Israel with their whole heart followeth Absalom.

¹⁴And David said to his servants, that were with him in Jerusalem: Arise and let us flee: for we shall not escape else from the face of Absalom: make haste to go out, lest he come and overtake us, and bring ruin upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

¹⁵And the king's servants said to him: Whatsoever our lord the king shall command, we thy servants will willingly execute.

¹⁶And the king went forth, and all his household on foot: and the king left ten women his concubines to keep the house:

¹⁷And the king going forth and all Israel on foot, stood afar off from the house:

¹⁸And all his servants walked by him, and the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and all the Gethites, valiant warriors, six hundred men who had followed him from Geth on foot, went before the king.

¹⁹And the king said to Ethai the Gethite: Why comest thou with us: return and dwell with the king, for thou art a stranger, and art come out of thy own place.

²⁰Yesterday thou camest, and to day shalt thou be forced to go forth with us? but I shall go whither I am going: return thou, and take back thy brethren with thee, and the Lord will shew thee mercy, and truth, because thou hast shewn grace and fidelity.

²¹And Ethai answered the king, saying: As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth: in what place soever thou shalt be, my lord, O king, either in death, or in life, there will thy servant be.

²²And David said to Ethai: Come, and pass over. And Ethai the Gethite passed, and all the men that were with him, and the rest of the people.

²³And they all wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself went over the brook Cedron, and all the people marched towards the way that looketh to the desert.

²⁴And Sadoc the priest also came, and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God: and Abiathar went up, till all the people that was come out of the city had done passing.

²⁵And the king said to Sadoc: Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will bring me again, and he will shew me it, and his tabernacle.

²⁶But if he shall say to me: Thou pleasest me not: I am ready, let him do that which is good before him.

²⁷And the king said to Sadoc the priest: O seer, return into the city in peace: and let Achimaas thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you.

²⁸Behold I will lie hid in the plains of the wilderness, till there come word from you to certify me.

²⁹So Sadoc and Abiathar carried back the ark of God into Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

³⁰But David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, going up and weeping, walking barefoot, and with his head covered, and all the people that were with them, went up with their heads covered weeping.

³¹And it was told David that Achitophel also was in the conspiracy with Absalom, and David said: Infatuate, O Lord, I beseech thee, the counsel of Achitophel.

³²And when David was come to the top of the mountain, where he was about to adore the Lord, behold Chusai the Arachite, came to meet him with his garment rent and his head covered with earth.

³³And David said to him: If thou come with me, thou wilt be a burden to me:

³⁴But if thou return into the city, and wilt say to Absalom: I am thy servant, O king: as I have been thy father's servant, so I will be thy servant: thou shalt defeat the counsel of Achitophel.

³⁵And thou hast with thee Sadoc, and soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests.

³⁶And there are with them their two sons Achimaas; the son of Sadoc, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar: and you shall send by them to me every thing that you shall hear.

³⁷Then Chusai the friend of David went into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.