2 Samuel 15

1 Now after these things Absalom made himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

And it cometh to pass afterwards, that Absalom prepareth for himself a chariot, and horses, and fifty men are running before him;

2 And Absalom rising up early stood by the entrance of the gate, and when any man had business to come to the king’s judgment, Absalom called him to him, and said: Of what city art thou? He answered, and said: Thy servant is of such a tribe of Israel.

and Absalom hath risen early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate, and it cometh to pass, every man who hath a pleading to come unto the king for judgment, that Absalom calleth unto him, and saith, 'Of what city [art] thou?' and he saith, 'Of one of the tribes of Israel [is] thy servant.'

3 And Absalom answered him: Thy words seem to me good and just. But there is no man appointed by the king to hear thee. And Absalom said:

And Absalom saith unto him, 'See, thy matters [are] good and straightforward — and there is none hearkening to thee from the king.'

4 O that they would make me judge over the land, that all that have business might come to me, that I might do them justice.

And Absalom saith, 'Who doth make me a judge in the land, that unto me doth come every man who hath a plea and judgment? — then I have declared him righteous.'

5 Moreover when any man came to him to salute him, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.

And it hath come to pass, in the drawing nearing of any one to bow himself to him, that he hath put forth his hand, and laid hold on him, and given a kiss to him;

6 And this he did to all Israel that came for judgment, to be heard by the king, and he enticed the hearts of the men of Israel.

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

7 And after forty years, Absalom said to king David: Let me go, and pay my vows which I have vowed to the Lord in Hebron.

And it cometh to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom saith unto the king, 'Let me go, I pray thee, and I complete my vow, that I vowed to Jehovah in Hebron,

8 For thy servant made avow, when he was in Gessur of Syria, saying: If the Lord shall bring me again into Jerusalem I will offer sacrifice to the Lord.

for a vow hath thy servant vowed in my dwelling in Geshur, in Aram, saying, If Jehovah doth certainly bring me back to Jerusalem, then I have served Jehovah.'

9 And king David said to him: Go in peace. And he arose, and went to Hebron.

And the king saith to him, 'Go in peace;' and he riseth and goeth to Hebron,

10 And Absalom sent spies into all the tribes of Israel, saying: As soon as you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, say ye: Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

and Absalom sendeth spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, 'At your hearing the voice of the trumpet, then ye have said, Absalom hath reigned in Hebron.'

11 Now there went with Absalom two hundred men out of Jerusalem that were called, going with simplicity of heart, and knowing nothing of the design.

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

12 Absalom also sent for Achitophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city Gilo. And while he was offering sacrifices, there was a strong conspiracy, and the people running together increased with Absalom.

and Absalom sendeth Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counsellor 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 And there came a messenger to David, saying: All Israel with their whole heart followeth Absalom.

And he who is declaring tidings cometh in unto David, saying, 'The heart of the men of Israel hath been after Absalom.'

14 And David said to his servants, that were with him in Jerusalem: Arise and let us flee: for we shall not escape else from the face of Absalom: make haste to go out, lest he come and overtake us, and bring ruin upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

And David saith to all his servants who [are] with him in Jerusalem, 'Rise, and we flee, for we have no escape from the face of Absalom; haste to go, lest he hasten, and have overtaken us, and forced on us evil, and smitten the city by the mouth of the sword.'

15 And the king’s servants said to him: Whatsoever our lord the king shall command, we thy servants will willingly execute.

And the servants of the king say unto the king, 'According to all that my lord the king chooseth — lo, thy servants [do].'

16 And the king went forth, and all his household on foot: and the king left ten women his concubines to keep the house:

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

17 And the king going forth and all Israel on foot, stood afar off from the house:

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

18 And all his servants walked by him, and the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and all the Gethites, valiant warriors, six hundred men who had followed him from Geth on foot, went before 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 And the king said to Ethai the Gethite: Why comest thou with us? return and dwell with the king, for thou art a stranger, and art come out of thy own place.

And the king saith unto Ittai the Gittite, 'Why dost thou go — thou also — with us? turn back — and abide with the king, for thou [art] a stranger, and also an exile thou — to thy place.

20 Yesterday thou camest, and today shalt thou be forced to go forth with us? but I shall go whither I am going: return thou, and take back thy brethren with thee, and the Lord will shew thee mercy, and truth, because thou hast shewn grace and fidelity.

Yesterday [is] thy coming in, and to-day I move thee to go with us, and I am going on that which I am going! — turn back, and take back thy brethren with thee, — kindness and truth.'

21 And Ethai answered the king, saying: As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth: in what place soever thou shalt be, my lord, O king, either in death, or in life, there will thy servant be.

And Ittai answereth the king and saith, 'Jehovah liveth, and my lord the king liveth, surely in the place where my lord the king is — if for death, if for life, surely there is thy servant.'

22 And David said to Ethai: Come, and pass over. And Ethai the Gethite passed, and all the men that were with him, and the rest of the people.

And David saith unto Ittai, 'Go and pass over;' and Ittai the Gittite passeth over, and all his men, and all the infants who [are] with him.

23 And they all wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself went over the brook Cedron, and all the people marched towards the way that looketh to the desert.

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

24 And Sadoc the priest also came, and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God: and Abiathar went up, till all the people that was come out of the city had done passing.

and lo, also Zadok, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they make the ark of God firm, and Abiathar goeth up, till the completion of all the people to pass over out of the city.

25 And the king said to Sadoc: Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will bring me again, and he will shew me it, and his tabernacle.

And the king saith to Zadok, 'Take back the ark of God to the city; if I find grace in the eyes of Jehovah, then He hath brought me back, and shewn me it and His habitation;

26 But if he shall say to me: Thou pleasest me not: I am ready, let him do that which is good before him.

and if thus He say, I have not delighted in thee; here [am] I, He doth to me as [is] good in His eyes.'

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

And the king saith unto Zadok the priest, 'Art thou a seer? turn back to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar, your two sons with you;

28 Behold I will lie hid in the plains of the wilderness, till there come word from you to certify me.

see ye, I am tarrying in the plains of the wilderness till the coming in of a word from you to declare to me.'

29 So Sadoc and Abiathar carried back the ark of God into Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

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

30 But David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, going up and weeping, walking barefoot, and with his head covered, and all the people that were with them, went up with their heads covered weeping.

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

31 And it was told David that Achitophel also was in the conspiracy with Absalom, and David said: Infatuate, O Lord, I beseech thee, the counsel of Achitophel.

and David declared, saying, 'Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom;' and David saith, 'Make foolish, I pray Thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Jehovah.'

32 And when David was come to the top of the mountain, where he was about to adore the Lord, behold Chusai the Arachite, came to meet him with his garment rent and his head covered with earth.

And it cometh to pass, David hath come unto the top, where he boweth himself to God, and lo, to meet him [is] Hushai the Archite, his coat rent, and earth on his head;

33 And David said to him: If thou come with me, thou wilt be a burden to me:

and David saith to him, 'If thou hast passed on with me then thou hast been on me for a burden,

34 But if thou return into the city, and wilt say to Absalom: I am thy servant, O king: as I have been thy father’s servant, so I will be thy servant: thou shalt defeat the counsel of Achitophel.

and if to the city thou dost turn back, and hast said to Absalom, Thy servant I am, O king; servant of thy father I [am] also hitherto, and now, I [am] also thy servant; then thou hast made void for me the counsel of Ahithophel;

35 And thou hast with thee Sadoc, and Abiathar the priests: and what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king’s house, thou shalt tell it to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests.

and are there not with thee there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it hath been, the whole of the matter that thou hearest from the house of the king thou dost declare to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests.

36 And there are with them their two sons Achimaas the son of Sadoc, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar: and you shall send by them to me every thing that you shall hear.

Lo, there with them [are] their two sons, Ahimaaz to Zadok, and Jonathan to Abiathar, and ye have sent by their hand unto me anything that ye hear.'

37 Then Chusai the friend of David went into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

And Hushai, David's friend, cometh in to the city, and Absalom cometh in to Jerusalem.