2 Samuel 15

1 Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.

And after this Absalom began to furnish himself with a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2 He 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,”

And Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road. Then when anyone had a dispute which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom would call out to him and say, "What city are you from?" When he said, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,"

3 Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”

then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your matters are good and right; but there is no one from the king to hear you."

4 And 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.”

And Absalom would say, "Oh that I were made judge in the land, then anyone who had a dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice."

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

It was so, that when any man came near to do him obeisance, he would extend his hand and embrace him, and kiss him.

6 Absalom 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.

Absalom did this sort of thing to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 After 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.

It happened at the end of four years, that Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to YHWH, in Hebron.

8 For 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.’”

For your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If YHWH will bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve YHWH in Hebron.'"

9 “Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.

The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose, and went to Hebron.

10 Then 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!’”

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, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'"

11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.

Two hundred men went with Absalom out of Jerusalem, who were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they did not know anything.

12 While 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.

And he sent and invited Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh, where he was offering sacrifice. The conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

13 Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”

A messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom."

14 And 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.”

So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, otherwise none of us shall escape from Absalom. Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring down the city on top of us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword."

15 The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”

Then the king's servants said to him, "Look, your servants are ready to do whatever the king chooses."

16 Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.

And the king went out with all his household following him. But the king left ten women, who were secondary wives, to take care of the palace.

17 So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,

So the king went out with all his servants following him, and they stopped at the last house.

18 and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.

And all the people passed on before him. And all those with him, all the officers and warriors, were six hundred men, and they passed on before him. And when all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites who followed him from Gath passed on before the king.

19 Then 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.

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and you also are an exile from your place.

20 In 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.”

You came only yesterday. Should I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back, and take your brothers with you, and may YHWH show you kindness and truth."

21 But 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!”

Ittai answered the king, and said, "As YHWH lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord shall be, whether for death or for life, even there also will your servant be."

22 “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.

So David said to Ittai, "Go and pass over." Then Ittai passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him.

23 Everyone 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.

And all the land wept aloud as all the people crossed over. And the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people passed before him on the Olive road into the wilderness.

24 Zadok 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.

And look, Zadok also came (and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of YHWH) and Abiathar. And they set down the ark of God until all the people finished passing by from the city.

25 Then 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.

The king said to Zadok, "Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of YHWH, he will bring me back and show me both it and his dwelling place;

26 But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.”

but if he should say, 'I have no delight in you;' look, here I am. Let him do to me as seems good to him."

27 The 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.

And the king said also to Zadok the priest, "Look, you return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

Look, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."

29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.

So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark to Jerusalem and returned it there.

30 But 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.

And David went up by the Ascent of the Olives, and wept as he went, and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up weeping as they went.

31 Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”

And it had been told to David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." David said, "YHWH, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."

32 When 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.

It happened that when David had come to the top, where God was worshiped, look, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and earth on his head.

33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.

David said to him, "If you pass on with me, then you will be a burden to me;

34 But 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.’

but if you return to the city, and tell Absalom, 'Your brothers have left, O king, after your father left, and now I am your servant, O king. Allow me to live. As I have been your father's servant in the past, so now I am your servant,' then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace.

And look, Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you. So whatever you hear from the king's house you must tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

36 Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”

Look, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And by them you must send to me everything that you hear."

37 So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.

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