2 Samuel 15

1 Then, after these things, Absalom obtained for himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men who went before him.

And it comes to pass afterward that Absalom prepares a chariot and horses for himself, and fifty men are running before him;

2 And rising up in the morning, Absalom was standing beside the entrance of the gate. And when there was any man who had a dispute that might go before the king’s judgment, Absalom would call him to him, and would say, “Which city are you from?” And responding, he would say, “I am your servant, from a certain tribe of Israel.”

and Absalom has risen early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate, and it comes to pass, every man who has a pleading to come to the king for judgment, that Absalom calls to him and says, “Of what city [are] you?” And he says, “Your servant [is] of one of the tribes of Israel.”

3 And Absalom would answer him: “Your words seem good and just to me. But there is no one appointed by the king to hear you.” And Absalom would say:

And Absalom says to him, “See, your matters [are] good and straightforward—and there is none listening to you from the king.”

4 “Who may appoint me judge over the land, so that all those who have a dispute might come to me, and I might judge justly.”

And Absalom says, “Who makes me judge in the land, that every man who has a plea and judgment comes to me? Then I have declared him righteous.”

5 Then too, when a man would draw near to him, so that he might greet him, he would extend his hand, and taking hold of him, he would kiss him.

And it has come to pass, in the drawing near of anyone to bow himself to him, that he has put forth his hand, and laid hold on him, and given a kiss to him;

6 And he was doing this to all those of Israel arriving for judgment to be heard by the king. And he solicited the hearts of the men of Israel.

and Absalom does according to this thing to all Israel who come in for judgment to the king, and Absalom steals the heart of the men of Israel.

7 Then, after forty years, Absalom said to king David: “I should go and pay my vows, which I have vowed to the Lord at Hebron.

And it comes to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom says to the king, “Please let me go, and I complete my vow that I vowed to YHWH in Hebron,

8 For your servant made a vow, when he was in Geshur of Syria, saying: If the Lord will lead me back to Jerusalem, I will sacrifice to the Lord.”

for your servant has vowed a vow in my dwelling in Geshur, in Aram, saying, If YHWH certainly brings me back to Jerusalem, then I have served YHWH.”

9 And king David said to him, “Go in peace.” And he rose up and went away to Hebron.

And the king says to him, “Go in peace”; and he rises and goes to Hebron,

10 Then Absalom sent scouts into all the tribes of Israel, saying: “As soon as you hear the blare of the trumpet, say: ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron.’”

and Absalom sends spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, “At your hearing the voice of the horn, then you have said, Absalom has reigned in Hebron.”

11 Now having been called, two hundred men from Jerusalem went forth with Absalom, going in simplicity of heart and being entirely ignorant of the plan.

And two hundred men have gone with Absalom out of Jerusalem, invited ones, and they are going in their simplicity, and have not known anything;

12 Absalom also summoned Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counselor of David, from his city, Giloh. And when he was immolating victims, a very strong oath was sworn, and the people, hurrying together, joined with Absalom.

and Absalom sends Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counselor of David, out of his city, out of Gilo, in his sacrificing sacrifices; and the conspiracy is strong, and the people are going and increasing with Absalom.

13 Then a messenger went to David, saying, “With their whole heart, all of Israel is following Absalom.”

And he who is declaring tidings comes to David, saying, “The heart of the men of Israel has been after Absalom.”

14 And David said to his servants, who were with him in Jerusalem: “Rise up, let us flee! For otherwise there will be no escape for us from the face of Absalom. Hurry to depart, lest perhaps, upon arriving, he may seize us, and force ruin upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

And David says to all his servants who [are] with him in Jerusalem, “Rise, and we flee, for we have no escape from the face of Absalom; hurry to go, lest he hurries, and has overtaken us, and forced evil on us, and struck the city by the mouth of the sword.”

15 And the servants of the king said to him, “Everything whatsoever that our lord the king will command, we your servants shall carry out willingly.”

And the servants of the king say to the king, “According to all that my lord the king chooses—behold, your servants do.”

16 Therefore, the king departed, with his entire household on foot. And the king left behind ten women of the concubines to care for the house.

And the king goes out, and all his household at his feet, and the king leaves ten women—concubines—to keep the house.

17 And having gone forth on foot, the king and all of Israel stood at a distance from the house.

And the king goes out, and all the people at his feet, and they stand still at the farthest off house.

18 And all his servants were walking beside him. And the legions of the Cerethites and Phelethites, and all the Gittites, powerful fighters, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath on foot, were preceding the king.

And all his servants are passing on at his side, and all the Cherethite, and all the Pelethite, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his feet from Gath, are passing on at the front of the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite: “Why do you come with us? Return and live with the king. For you are a stranger, and you departed from your own place.

And the king says to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you go—you also—with us? Return and abide with the king, for you [are] a stranger, and also an exile, you—to your place.

20 You arrived yesterday. And today should you be compelled to go away with us? For I should go to the place where I am going. But you should return, and lead your own brothers back with you. And the Lord will show mercy and truth to you, because you have shown grace and faith.”

Your coming in [was only] yesterday, and should I move you to go with us today, since I am going over [to] where [I do not know where] I am going? Return, and take your brothers back. Kindness and truth [be] with you.”

21 And Ittai responded to the king, by saying, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, in whatever place you will be, my lord the king, whether in death or in life, your servant will be there.”

And Ittai answers the king and says, “YHWH lives, and my lord the king lives, surely in the place where my lord the king is—if for death, if for life, surely your servant is there.”

22 And David said to Ittai, “Come, and pass over.” And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all the men who were with him, and the rest of the multitude.

And David says to Ittai, “Go and pass over”; and Ittai the Gittite passes over, and all his men, and all the infants who [are] with him.

23 And they all wept with a great voice, and all the people passed over. The king also passed over the torrent Kidron. And all the people advanced opposite the way which looks out toward the desert.

And all the land is weeping [with] a great voice, and all the people are passing over; and the king is passing over through the Brook of Kidron, and all the people are passing over on the front of the way of the wilderness;

24 Now Zadok the priest also went, and all the Levites went with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God. And Abiathar went up, until all the people who had departed from the city had gone by.

and behold, also Zadok, and all the Levites with him, are carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God, and they make the Ark of God firm, and Abiathar goes up, until the completion of all the people to pass over out of the city.

25 And the king said to Zadok: “Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will lead me back. And he will show it to me in his tabernacle.

And the king says to Zadok, “Take back the Ark of God to the city; if I find grace in the eyes of YHWH, then He has brought me back, and shown me it and His habitation;

26 But if he will say to me, ‘You are not pleasing,’ I am ready. Let him do whatever is good in his own sight.”

and if thus He says, I have not delighted in you; here I [am], He does to me as [is] good in His eyes.”

27 And the king said to Zadok the priest: “O seer, return into the city in peace. And let your son Ahimaaz, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you.

And the king says to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your son Ahimaaz, and Jonathan son of Abiathar, your two sons with you;

28 Behold, I will hide in the plains of the desert, until word from you may arrive to inform me.”

see, I am lingering in the plains of the wilderness until the coming in of a word from you to declare to me.”

29 Therefore, Zadok and Abiathar carried back the ark of God into Jerusalem, and they remained there.

And Zadok takes back—and Abiathar—the Ark of God to Jerusalem, and they abide there.

30 But David ascended to the Mount of Olives, climbing and weeping, advancing with bare feet and with his head covered. Moreover, all the people who were with him ascended, weeping with their heads covered.

And David is going up in the ascent of the [Mount of] Olives, going up and weeping, and he has the head covered, and he is going barefooted, and all the people who [are] with him have each covered his head, and have gone up, going up and weeping;

31 Then it was reported to David that Ahithophel also had joined in swearing with Absalom. And David said, “O Lord, I beg you, to uncover the foolishness of the counsel of Ahithophel.”

and David declared, saying, “Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom”; and David says, “Please make the counsel of Ahithophel foolish, O YHWH.”

32 And when David had ascended to the summit of the mountain, where he was going to adore the Lord, behold Hushai the Archite met him, with his garment torn and his head covered with soil.

And it comes to pass, David has come to the top, where he bows himself to God, and behold, Hushai the Archite [is there] to meet him, [with] his coat torn, and earth on his head;

33 And David said to him: “If you come with me, you will be a burden to me.

and David says to him, “If you have passed on with me then you have been for a burden on me,

34 But if you return to the city, and you say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king; just as I have been the servant of your father, so too will I be your servant,’ you will destroy the counsel of Ahithophel

and if you return to the city and have said to Absalom, I am your servant, O king; I [am] also servant of your father until now, and presently, I [am] also your servant; then you have made void the counsel of Ahithophel for me;

35 And you have with you the priests Zadok and Abiathar. And any word whatsoever that you will hear from the house of the king, you shall reveal it to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests.

and are Zadok and Abiathar the priests not with you there? And it has been, the whole of the matter that you hear from the house of the king you declare to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests.

36 Now with them are their two sons Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar. And you shall send to me by them every word that you will have heard.”

Behold, their two sons [are] there with them: Ahimaaz to Zadok, and Jonathan to Abiathar, and you have sent to me by their hand anything that you hear.”

37 Therefore, Hushai, the friend of David, went into the city. And Absalom also entered into Jerusalem.

And Hushai, David’s friend, comes to the city, and Absalom comes to Jerusalem.