Now it came about after
this
that aAbsalom
provided
for himself a chariot
and horses
and fifty
men
as runners
before
him.
Absalom used to rise
early
and astand
beside
the way
to the gate
; and when any
man
had
a suit
to come
to the king
for judgment
, Absalom
would call
to him and say
, "From what
city
are you?" And he would say
, "Your servant
is from one
of the tribes
of Israel
."
Then Absalom would say
to him, "See
, ayour 1claims
are good
and right
, but no
man listens
to you on the part
of the king
."
Moreover, Absalom would say
, " aOh
that one would appoint
me judge
in the land
, then every
man
who
has
any suit
or cause
could come
to me and I would give
him justice
."
And when a man came
near
to prostrate
himself before him, he would put
out his hand
and take
hold
of him and akiss
him.
In this manner
Absalom
dealt
with all
Israel
who
came
to the king
for judgment
; aso Absalom
stole
away
the hearts
of the men
of Israel
.
Now it came about at the end
of 1forty
years
that Absalom
said
to the king
, "Please
let me go
and pay
my vow
which
I have vowed
to the LORD
, in aHebron
.
"For your servant avowed
a vow
while I was living
at Geshur
in Aram
, saying
, ` bIf
the LORD
shall indeed
bring
me back
to Jerusalem
, then I will serve
the LORD
.' "
The king said
to him, "Go
in peace
." So he arose
and went
to Hebron
.
But Absalom sent
spies
throughout all
the tribes
of Israel
, saying
, "As soon as you hear
the sound
of the trumpet
, then you shall say
, ` aAbsalom
is king
in Hebron
.' "
Then two hundred men
went
with Absalom
from Jerusalem
, awho were invited
and bwent
1innocently
, and they did not know
anything
.
And Absalom sent
for aAhithophel
the Gilonite
, David's
counselor
, from his city
bGiloh
, while he was offering
the sacrifices
. And the conspiracy
was strong
, for cthe people
increased
continually
with Absalom
.
Then a messenger came
to David
, saying
, " aThe hearts
of the men
of Israel
are 1with Absalom
."
David said
to all
his servants
who
were with him at Jerusalem
, " aArise
and let us flee
, for otherwise none
of us will escape
from Absalom
. Go
in haste
, or
he will overtake
us quickly
and bring
down
calamity
on us and strike
the city
with the edge
of the sword
."
Then the king's servants
said
to the king
, "Behold
, your servants
are ready to do whatever
my lord
the king
chooses
."
So the king went
out and all
his household
1with him. But athe king
left
ten
concubines
to keep
the house
.
The king went
out and all
the people
1with him, and they stopped
at the last
house
.
Now all his servants
passed
on beside
him, aall
the Cherethites
, all
the Pelethites
and all
the Gittites
, bsix
hundred
men
who
had come
1with him from Gath
, passed
on before
the king
.
Then the king said
to aIttai
the Gittite
, "Why
will you also
go
with us? Return
and remain
with the king
, for you are a foreigner
and also
an exile
; return to your own place
.
"You came only yesterday
, and shall I today
make you wander
with us, while aI go
where
I will? Return
and take
back
your brothers
; bmercy
and 1truth
be with you."
But Ittai answered
the king
and said
, "As the LORD
lives
, and as my lord
the king
lives
, surely
awherever
my lord
the king
may be, whether
for death
or
for life
, there
also
your servant
will be."
Therefore David said
to Ittai
, "Go
and pass
over
." So Ittai
the Gittite
passed
over
with all
his men
and all
the little
ones
who
were with him.
While all the country
was weeping
with a loud
voice
, all
the people
passed
over
. The king
also passed
over
athe brook
Kidron
, and all
the people
passed
over
toward
bthe way
of the wilderness
.
Now behold, aZadok
also
came, and all
the Levites
with him bcarrying
the ark
of the covenant
of God
. And they set
down
the ark
of God
, and cAbiathar
came
up until
all
the people
had finished
passing
from the city
.
The king said
to Zadok
, "Return
the ark
of God
to the city
. If
I find
favor
in the sight
of the LORD
, then aHe will bring
me back
again and show
me both it and bHis habitation
.
"But if He should say
thus
, ` aI have
no
delight
in you,' behold
, here I am, blet Him do
to me as seems good
1to Him."
The king said
also to Zadok
the priest
, "Are you not aa seer
? Return
to the city
in peace
and your btwo
sons
with you, your son
Ahimaaz
and Jonathan
the son
of Abiathar
.
"See, I am going to wait
aat the fords
of the wilderness
until
word
comes
from you to inform
me."
Therefore Zadok and Abiathar
returned
the ark
of God
to Jerusalem
and remained
there
.
And David went
up the ascent
of the Mount of Olives
, and wept
as he went
, and ahis head
was covered
and he walked
bbarefoot
. Then all
the people
who
were with him each
covered
his head
and went
up weeping
as they went
.
Now someone told David
, saying
, " aAhithophel
is among the conspirators
with Absalom
." And David
said
, "O LORD
, I pray
, bmake
the counsel
of Ahithophel
foolishness
."
It happened as David
was coming
to the summit
, where
God
was worshiped
, that behold
, Hushai
the aArchite
met
him with his 1coat
torn
and 2dust
on his head
.
David said
to him, "If
you pass
over
with me, then you will be aa burden
to me.
"But if you return
to the city
, and asay
to Absalom
, `I will be your servant
, O king
; as I have been
your father's
servant
in time
past
, so I will now
be your servant
,' then you can thwart
the counsel
of Ahithophel
for me.
"Are not Zadok and Abiathar
the priests
with you there
? So it shall be that awhatever
you hear
from the king's
house
, you shall report
to Zadok
and Abiathar
the priests
.
"Behold atheir two
sons
are with them there
, Ahimaaz
, Zadok's
son and Jonathan
, Abiathar's
son; and bby them you shall send
me everything
that you hear
."
So Hushai, aDavid's
friend
, came
into the city
, and bAbsalom
came
into Jerusalem
.