2 Samuel 15

1 After this, Absalom prepared him charets and horses, and fiftie men to runne 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 Absalom rose vp early, and stoode hard by the entring in of the gate: and euery man that had any matter, and came to the King for iudgement, him did Absalom call vnto him, and sayde, Of what citie art thou? And he answered, Thy seruant is of one of the tribes 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 Then Absalom said vnto him, See, thy matters are good and righteous, but there is no man deputed of the King to heare thee.

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

4 Absalom sayd moreouer, Oh that I were made Iudge in the lande, that euery man which hath any matter of controuersie, might come to me, that I might do him iustice.

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 And when any man came neere to him, and did him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and tooke him, and kissed 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 on this maner did Absalom to al Israel, that came to the King for iudgement: so Absalom stale 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 And after fourtie yeeres, Absalom sayd vnto the King, I pray thee, let me go to Hebron, and render my vowe which I haue vowed vnto the Lord.

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 thy seruant vowed a vowe when I remayned at Geshur, in Aram, saying, If the Lord shall bring me againe in deede to Ierusalem, I will serue 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 the King sayd vnto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.

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

10 Then Absalom sent spyes throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, When yee heare the sound of the trumpet, Ye shall say, Absalom reigneth 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 And with Absalom went two hundreth men out of Ierusalem, that were called: and they went in their simplicitie, knowing nothing.

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 Also Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite Dauids counseller, from his citie Giloh, while he offred sacrifices: and the treason was great: for the people encreased still 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 came a messenger to Dauid, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are turned after Absalom.

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

14 Then Dauid sayd vnto all his seruants that were with him at Ierusalem, Vp, and let vs flee: for we shall not escape from Absalom: make speede to depart, lest he come suddenly and take vs, and bring euill vpon vs, and smite the citie with the edge of the sworde.

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 Kings seruants sayd vnto him, Behold, thy seruants are ready to do according to all that my lord the King shall appoynt.

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

16 So the King departed and all his houshold after him, and the King left ten concubines to keepe 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 the King went forth and all the people after him, and taried in a place farre off.

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 seruants went about him, and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, euen sixe hudreth men which were come after him from Gath, 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 Then sayde the King to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore commest thou also with vs? Returne aud abide with the King, for thou art a stranger: depart thou therefore to thy 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 Thou camest yesterday, and should I cause thee to wander to day and go with vs? I will goe whither I can: therefore returne thou and cary againe thy brethren: mercy and trueth be with thee.

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 answered the King, and sayde, As the Lord liueth, and as my lord the King liueth, in what place my lord the King shalbe, whether in death or life, euen there surely will thy seruant bee.

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 Then Dauid sayd to Ittai, Come, and go forward. And Ittai the Gittite went, and all his men, and all the children that were with him.

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 all the countrey wept with a loude voyce, and all the people went forward, but the King passed ouer the brooke Kidron: and all the people went ouer toward the way of ye wildernes.

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 And lo, Zadok also was there, and all the Leuites with him, bearing the Arke of the couenant of God: and they set downe the Arke of God, and Abiathar went vp vntill the people were all come out of the citie.

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 Then the King said vnto Zadok, Carie the Arke of God againe into the citie: if I shall finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me againe, and shewe me both it, and the Tabernacle thereof.

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 thus say, I haue no delite in thee, behold, here am I, let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes.

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 The King sayde againe vnto Zadok the Priest, Art not thou a Seer? returne into the citie in peace, and your two sonnes with you: to wit, Ahimaaz thy sonne, and Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar.

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 wil tarie in the fieldes of the wildernesse, vntill there come some worde from you to be tolde 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 Zadok therefore and Abiathar caried the Arke of God againe to Ierusalem, and they taried there.

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

30 And Dauid went vp the mount of oliues and wept as he went vp, and had his head couered, and went barefooted: and al the people that was with him, had euery man his head couered, and as they went vp, they wept.

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 one tolde Dauid, saying, Ahithophel is one of them that haue cospired with Absalom: and Dauid sayde, O Lord, I pray thee, turne the counsell of Ahithophel into foolishnesse.

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

32 Then Dauid came to the toppe of the mount where he worshipped God: and beholde, Hushai the Archite came against him with his coate torne, and hauing earth vpon his head.

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 Vnto whom Dauid sayd, If thou goe with me, thou shalt be a burthen vnto 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 thou returne to the citie, and say vnto Absalom, I wil be thy seruant, O King, (as I haue bene in time past thy fathers seruant, so will I now be thy seruant) then thou mayest bring me the counsell of Ahithophel to nought.

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 hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the Priests? therefore what so euer thou shalt heare out of the Kings house, thou shalt shew 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 Beholde, there are with them their two sonnes: Ahimaaz Zadoks sonne, and Ionathan Abiathars sonne: by them also shall ye send me euery thing that ye can heare.

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 So Hushai Dauids friend went into the citie: and Absalom came into Ierusalem.

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