2 Samuel 15

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

It came about after this that Absalom prepared a chariot and horses for himself, with 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,”

Absalom would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. When any man had a dispute to come to the king for judgment, Absalom called to him and said, “From what city have you come?” Then the man would answer, “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.”

So Absalom would say to him, “Look, your case is good and right, but there is no one empowered by the king to hear your case.”

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.”

Absalom added, “I wish that I were made judge in the land, so that every man who had any dispute or cause might come to me, and I would bring 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.

So it came about that when any man came to Absalom to honor him, Absalom would put out his hand and take hold of 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 acted in this way 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 came about at the end of four years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay a vow that I have made to Yahweh 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 made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying,' If Yahweh will indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will worship Yahweh.'”

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

So the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So Absalom 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 then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you must 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.

With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem, who were invited. They went in their innocence, not knowing anything that Absalom had planned.

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.

While Absalom offered sacrfices, he sent for Ahithophel from his hometown of Giloh. He was David's counselor. Absalom's conspiracy was strong, for the people following Absalom were constantly increasing.

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 following 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, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Prepare to leave immediately, or he will quickly overtake us, and he will bring down disaster on us and attack the city with the edge of the sword.”

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

The king's servants said to the king, “Look, your servants are ready to do whatever our master the king decides.”

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

The king left and all his family after him, but the king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the palace.

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

After the king went out and all the people after him, 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.

All his army marched with him, and before him went all the Kerethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites—six hundred men who had followed him from Gath.

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 will you come with us? Return and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and an exile. Return to your own 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.”

Since you just left yesterday, why should I make you wander all over with us? I do not even know where I am going. So return and take your fellow countrymen back. May loyalty and faithfulness go with you.”

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!”

But Ittai answered the king and said, “As Yahweh lives, and as my master the king lives, surely in whatever place where my master the king goes, there also will your servant go, whether that means living or dying.”

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 ahead and continue with us.” So Ittai the Gittite marched with the king, along with all his men and all the families 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.

All the country wept with a loud voice as all the people passed by over the Kidron Valley, and as the king also himself crossed over. All the people traveled on the road toward 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.

Even Zadok with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God, were present. They set the ark of God down, and then Abiathar joined them. They waited until all the people had passed by out of 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, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yahweh, he will bring me back here and show me again the ark and the place where he lives.

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 says, 'I am not pleased with you,' look, here am I, let him do to me whatever 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.

The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar.

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

See, I will wait at the fords of the Arabah 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 of God back into Jerusalem, and they stayed 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.

But David ascended barefoot and weeping up the Mount of Olives, and he had his head covered. Every man of the people who were with him covered his head, and they went up weeping as they walked.

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!”

Someone told David saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “O Yahweh, please turn Ahithophel's advice 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 came about that when David arrived at the top of the road, where God used to be worshiped, Hushai the Arkite 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 travel 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 say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, king, as I have been your father's servant in time past, so will I now be your servant,' then you will confuse Ahithophel's advice for me.

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

Will you not have the priests Zadok and Abiathar with you? So whatever you hear in the king's palace, 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.”

See that they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. You must send to me by their hand 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 as Absalom arrived and entered into Jerusalem.