1Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.stylus1 Kings 1:5, 1 Kings 1:5, 2 Samuel 12:11, 1 Samuel 8:11, Psalms 20:72He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”stylusProverbs 4:16, Job 24:14, Exodus 18:26, 1 Kings 3:16, 1 Kings 3:283Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”stylusExodus 20:12, Proverbs 30:17, Proverbs 30:11, Matthew 15:4, 1 Peter 2:174And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.”stylusJudges 9:29, Judges 9:29, Luke 14:8, Luke 14:11, Judges 9:15Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.stylus2 Samuel 14:33, 2 Samuel 14:33, Psalms 55:21, Proverbs 26:25, Psalms 10:96Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.stylusRomans 16:18, Romans 16:18, 2 Peter 2:3, 2 Peter 2:3, Proverbs 11:97After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.stylusIsaiah 58:4, Isaiah 58:4, 2 Samuel 13:24, 2 Samuel 13:27, Matthew 2:88For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”stylusGenesis 28:20, Genesis 28:21, 2 Samuel 13:37, 2 Samuel 13:38, Genesis 28:209“Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.stylus10Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”stylus1 Chronicles 11:3, 2 Samuel 2:11, 1 Chronicles 12:38, 2 Samuel 13:28, 1 Kings 1:3411Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.stylus1 Samuel 9:13, 1 Samuel 9:13, 1 Samuel 22:15, 1 Samuel 22:15, Matthew 10:1612While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.stylusPsalms 41:9, 2 Samuel 15:31, Psalms 41:9, 2 Samuel 15:31, Joshua 15:5113Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”stylusJudges 9:3, Judges 9:3, Matthew 27:22, 2 Samuel 15:6, Matthew 27:2214And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.”stylus2 Samuel 19:9, 2 Samuel 19:9, 2 Samuel 12:11, Psalms 55:3, Psalms 55:1115The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”stylusLuke 22:28, Luke 22:29, John 6:66, John 6:69, Proverbs 18:2416Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.stylus2 Samuel 16:21, 2 Samuel 16:22, 2 Samuel 16:21, 2 Samuel 16:22, 2 Samuel 20:317So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,stylusPsalms 3:1, Psalms 3:2, Psalms 66:12, Ecclesiastes 10:7, Psalms 3:118and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.stylus2 Samuel 8:18, 2 Samuel 8:18, 1 Samuel 30:14, 1 Kings 1:38, 1 Chronicles 18:1719Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.stylus2 Samuel 18:2, 2 Samuel 18:2, Ruth 1:11, Ruth 1:13, Ruth 1:1120In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.”stylus1 Samuel 23:13, 1 Samuel 23:13, 2 Samuel 2:6, 2 Samuel 2:6, John 1:1721But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”stylusRuth 1:16, Ruth 1:17, Ruth 1:16, Ruth 1:17, Proverbs 17:1722“March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.stylus23Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.stylus2 Samuel 16:2, 2 Samuel 16:2, 1 Kings 2:37, John 18:1, 1 Kings 2:3724Zadok was also there, 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 offered sacrifices until the people had passed out of the city.stylusNumbers 4:15, 2 Samuel 8:17, Numbers 4:15, 2 Samuel 8:17, 2 Samuel 20:2525Then 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 both it and His dwelling place again.stylusJeremiah 25:30, Jeremiah 25:30, Psalms 43:3, Psalms 43:4, Psalms 84:1026But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.”stylus1 Samuel 3:18, 1 Samuel 3:18, 1 Kings 10:9, 2 Samuel 22:20, 1 Kings 10:927The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan.stylus1 Samuel 9:9, 2 Samuel 17:17, 1 Samuel 9:9, 2 Samuel 17:17, 1 Chronicles 25:528See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”stylus2 Samuel 17:16, 2 Samuel 17:16, 2 Samuel 15:23, 2 Samuel 15:23, 2 Samuel 17:129So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.stylus30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.stylusEsther 6:12, Esther 6:12, 2 Samuel 19:4, 2 Samuel 19:4, Ezekiel 24:1731Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”stylus2 Samuel 17:23, 2 Samuel 17:14, 2 Samuel 17:23, 2 Samuel 17:14, Psalms 41:932When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.stylusJoshua 16:2, Joshua 16:2, 2 Samuel 1:2, Psalms 3:3, Psalms 3:533David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.stylus2 Samuel 19:35, 2 Samuel 19:3534But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’stylus2 Samuel 15:20, 2 Samuel 17:5, 2 Samuel 17:14, Matthew 10:16, Joshua 8:235Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace.stylus2 Samuel 17:15, 2 Samuel 17:16, 2 Samuel 17:15, 2 Samuel 17:1636Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”stylus2 Samuel 17:17, 2 Samuel 17:17, 2 Samuel 15:27, 2 Samuel 15:27, 2 Samuel 18:1937So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.stylus2 Samuel 16:15, 2 Samuel 16:16, 1 Chronicles 27:33, 2 Samuel 16:15, 2 Samuel 16:16