2 Samuel 15

After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him.

In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him.

He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe.

He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, ‘What town are you from?’ He would answer, ‘Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.’

Then Absalom would say, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it.

Then Absalom would say to him, ‘Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.’

I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!”

And Absalom would add, ‘If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.’

When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them.

Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him.

Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.

Absalom behaved in this way towards all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

After four years,^[a] Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and fulfill a vow I made to him.

At the end of four^[a] years, Absalom said to the king, ‘Let me go to Hebron and fulfil a vow I made to the Lord.

For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the Lord in Hebron^[b] if he would bring me back to Jerusalem.”

While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: “If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.”^[b]’

“All right,” the king told him. “Go and fulfill your vow.”

So Absalom went to Hebron.

The king said to him, ‘Go in peace.’ So he went to Hebron.

But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,” his message read, “you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.’”

Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, ‘As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, “Absalom is king in Hebron.”’

He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions.

Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter.

While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.

David Escapes from Jerusalem

While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, to come from Giloh, his home town. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.

David flees

A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”

A messenger came and told David, ‘The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.’

“Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.”

Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, ‘Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword.’

“We are with you,” his advisers replied. “Do what you think is best.”

The king’s officials answered him, ‘Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.’

So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace.

The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace.

The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last house

So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city.

to let all the king’s men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king’s bodyguard.^[c]

All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.

Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, “Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile.

The king said to Ittai the Gittite, ‘Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland.

You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don’t even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the Lord show you his unfailing love and faithfulness.^[d]”

You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.’^[c]

But Ittai said to the king, “I vow by the Lord and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.”

But Ittai replied to 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.’

David replied, “All right, come with us.” So Ittai and all his men and their families went along.

David said to Ittai, ‘Go ahead, march on.’ So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.

Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.

The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on towards the wilderness.

Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices^[e] until everyone had passed out of the city.

Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.

Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. “If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle^[f] again.

Then the king said to Zadok, ‘Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favour in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling-place again.

But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.”

But if he says, “I am not pleased with you,” then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.’

The king also told Zadok the priest, “Look,^[g] here is my plan. You and Abiathar^[h] should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan.

The king also said to Zadok the priest, ‘Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons.

I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River^[i] and wait there for a report from you.”

I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.’

So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.

So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.

But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.

When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, “O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”

Now David had been told, ‘Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.’ So David prayed, ‘Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.’

When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning.

When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head.

But David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden.

David said to him, ‘If you go with me, you will be a burden to me.

Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice.

But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, “Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,” then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice.

Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king’s palace,

Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace.

and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.”

Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.’

So David’s friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.

So Hushai, David’s confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.