Kings II 15

1 And it came to pass after this that Abessalom prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

And it came to pass, after this, that Absolom prepared him chariots and horses, —and fifty men, to run before him.

2 And Abessalom rose early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate: and it came to pass that every man who had a cause, came to the king for judgement, and Abessalom cried to him, and said to him, Of what city are you? And he said, Your servant [is] of one of the tribes of Israel.

And Absolom used to rise up early, and take his stand beside the way of the gate, —and so it was—when any man who had a controversy would come unto the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said: Of what city, art, thou? And he said, Of one of the tribes of Israel, is thy servant. And Absolom said unto him,

3 And Abessalom said to him, See, your affairs [are] right and clear, yet you have no one [appointed] of the king to hear you.

See! thy cause, is good and right, —but, to hear it, thou hast no one, from the king.

4 And Abessalom said, O that one would make me a judge in the land; then every man who had a dispute or a cause would come to me, and I would judge him!

And Absalom said, Oh would that I were appointed to judge in the land! that, unto me, might come every man having a complaint or a defence, then would I see him righted.

5 And it came to pass when a man came near to do him obeisance, that he stretched out his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.

Moreover, so it used to be, that, when any man came near to do him homage, he would put forth his hand, and lay hold of him, and kiss him.

6 And Abessalom did after this manner to all Israel that came to the king for judgement; and Abessalom gained the hearts of the men of Israel.

And Absolom did, after this manner, to all Israel who came for judgment, unto the king, —so Absolom stole away the heart of the men of Israel.

7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Abessalom said to his father, I will go now, and pay my vows, which I vowed to the Lord in Chebron.

And it came to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absolom said unto the king—Let me go, I pray thee, that I may pay my vow which I have vowed unto Yahweh, in Hebron;

8 For your servant vowed a vow when I lived at Gedsur in Syria, saying, If the Lord should indeed restore me to Jerusalem, then will I serve the Lord.

for thy servant vowed, a vow, while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, —If Yahweh, will but bring me back, unto Jerusalem, then will I serve Yahweh,

9 And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he arose and went to Chebron.

And the king said unto him—Go and prosper! So he arose and went to Hebron.

10 And Abessalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, When you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shall you say, Abessalom is become king in Chebron.

And Absolom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, —When ye hear the sound of the horn, then shall ye say, Absolom hath become king in Hebron!

11 And there went with Abessalom two hundred chosen men from Jerusalem; and they went in their simplicity, and knew not anything.

And, with Absolom, went two hundred men, out of Jerusalem, who, having been bidden, were going in their simplicity, —neither knew they anything.

12 And Abessalom sent to Achitophel the Theconite, the counsellor of David, from his city, from Gola, where he was sacrificing: and there was a strong conspiracy; and the people with Abessalom were increasingly numerous.

And Absalom sent and called Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, out of his city, out of Gilo, when he was offering sacrifices, —and so it was that the conspiracy was strong, and, the people, went on multiplying with Absolom.

13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, the heart of the men of Israel is gone after Abessalom.

Then came one bearing tidings unto David, saying, —It hath come about, that the heart of the men of Israel goeth after Absolom.

14 And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, Rise, and let us flee, for we have no refuge from Abessalom: make haste and go, lest he overtake us speedily, and bring evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.

Then said David, to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem—Arise and let us flee, or we shall have no way of escape from the face of Absolom, —make speed to depart, lest he make speed, and so overtake us, and bring down misfortune upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

15 And the king's servants said to the king, In all things which our lord the king chooses, behold [we are] your servants.

And the king’s servants said unto the king, —According to all that my lord the king shall choose, here are thy servants.

16 And the king and all his house went out on foot: and the king left ten women of his concubines to keep the house.

So the king went forth, with all his household attending him, —but the king left ten women who were concubines, to keep the house.

17 And the king and all his servants went out on foot; and abode in a distant house.

Thus then the king went forth, with all the people attending him, —and they came to a stand at a place that was far off.

18 And all his servants passed on by his side, and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and they stood by the olive tree in the wilderness: and all the people marched near him, and all his court, and all the men of might, and all the men of war, six hundred: and they were present at his side: and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and all the six hundred Gittites that came on foot out of Geth, and they went on before the king.

And, all his servants, were passing on beside him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, —and, all the Gittites—six hundred men, who had accompanied him from Gath, —were passing on before the king.

19 And the king said to Ethi, the Gittite, Why do you also go with us? return, and dwell with the king, for you are a stranger, and you has come forth as a sojourner out of your place.

Then said the king, unto Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore shouldest, thou also, go with us? return and abide with the king, for, a stranger, art thou, moreover also, an exile, art thou from thine own country.

20 Whereas you came yesterday, shall I today cause you to travel with us, and shall you [thus] change your place? you did come forth yesterday, and today shall I set you in motion to go along with us? I indeed will go wherever I may go: return then, and cause your brethren to return with you, and may the Lord deal mercifully and truly with you.

Only yesterday, camest thou, and, today, shall I let thee wander with us, on our journey, seeing that, I, am going, whithersoever I may? Return and take back thy brethren with thee, and may Yahweh deal with thee in lovingkindness and faithfulness.

21 And Ethi answered the king and said, [As] the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, in the place wherever my lord shall be, whether it be for death or life, there shall your servant be.

But Ittai answered the king, and said, —By the life of Yahweh, and by the life of my lord the king, surely, in whatsoever place, my lord the king, may be, whether for death or for life, there will, thy servant, be.

22 And the king said to Ethi, Come and pass over with me. So Ethi the Gittite and the king passed over, and all his servants, and all the multitude with him.

Then said David unto Ittai—Go, and pass on. So Ittai the Gittite passed on, with all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

23 And all the country wept with a loud voice. And all the people passed by over the brook of Kedron; and the king crossed the brook Kedron: and all the people and the king passed on towards the way of the wilderness.

And, fall the land, was weeping, with a loud voice, and, all the people, were passing on, —the king also, was passing on, through the torrent-bed of Kidron, and all the people were passing on over the face of the way leading to the wilderness.

24 And behold also Sadoc, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Baethar: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had passed out of the city.

And lo! Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, were bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up, until all the people had made an end of passing over out of the city.

25 And the king said to Sadoc, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I should find favour in the eyes of the Lord, then will he bring me back, and he will show me it and its beauty.

Then said the king unto Zadok, Take back the ark of God into the city, —if I find favour in the eyes of Yahweh, then will he bring me back, and let me see both him and his habitation,

26 But if he should say thus, I have no pleasure in you; behold, [here] I am, let him do to me according to that which is good in his eyes.

but, if thus, he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do unto me as may be good in his eyes.

27 And the king said to Sadoc the priest, Behold, you shall return to the city in peace, and Achimaas your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you.

And the king said, unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not, a seer? return into the city, in peace, —and Ahimaaz thine own son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar—your two sons, with you.

28 Behold, I continue in arms in Araboth of the desert, until there come tidings from you to report to me.

See! I, am tarrying in the waste plains of the wilderness—until there come word from you, to tell me.

29 So Sadoc and Abiathar brought back the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem, and it continued there.

So Zadok and Abiathar took back the ark of God to Jerusalem, —and abode there.

30 And David went up by the ascent of [the mount of] Olives, ascending and weeping, and had his head covered, and went barefooted: and all the people that were with him covered [every] man his head; and they went up, ascending and weeping.

Now, David, was going up by the ascent of Olivet, weeping as he went up, with his head covered, himself, passing on barefoot, —and all the people who were with him, covered every man his head, and went up, weeping as they went.

31 And it was reported to David, saying, Achitophel also [is] amongst the conspirators with Abessalom. And David said, O Lord my God, disconcert, I pray you, the counsel of Achitophel.

And, unto David, it was told, saying, Ahithophel, is among the conspirators with Absolom. And David said, Turn to foolishness, I pray thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.

32 And David came as far as Ros, where he worshipped God: and behold, Chusi the chief friend of David came out to meet him, having tore his garment, and earth [was] upon his head.

And it came to pass, when David reached the summit, where he bowed himself down unto God, that lo! there met him, Hushai the Archite, his tunic rent, and earth upon his head.

33 And David said to him, If you should go over with me, then will you be a burden to me;

And David said unto him, —If thou pass over with me, then shalt thou become unto me, a burden;

34 but if you shall return to the city, and shall say to Abessalom, Your brethren are passed over, and the king your father is passed over after me: and now I am your servant, O king, suffer me to live: at one time even of late I was the servant of your father, and now I [am] your humble servant—so shall you disconcert for me, the counsel of Achitophel.

but, if, to the city, thou return, then canst thou say unto Absolom—Thy servant, I, O king, will be, as, the servant of thy father, I was formerly, so will I, now, be thy servant: thus shalt thou frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 And, behold, [there are] there with you Sadoc and Abiathar the priests; and it shall be that every word that you shall hear of the house of the king, you shall report it to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests.

And hast thou not, with thee, there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so then it shall be, that, what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the house of the king, thou shalt tell to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests.

36 Behold, [there are] there with them their two sons, Achimaas the son of Sadoc, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar; and by them you shall report to me every word which you shall hear.

Lo! they have there with them, their two sons, Ahimaaz for Zadok, and Jonathan for Abiathar, —so shall ye send, by their hand, unto me, everything which ye shall hear.

37 So Chusi the friend of David went into the city, and Abessalom was lately gone into Jerusalem.

So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city, —when, Absolom, was about to enter Jerusalem.