2 Samuel 15

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

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

2 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.”

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.

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

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:

4 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.”

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.

5 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;

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

6 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.

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.

7 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,

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.

8 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.”

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.

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

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

10 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.”

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.

11 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;

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.

12 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.

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.

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

And there came a messenger to David, saying: All Israel with their whole heart followeth Absalom.

14 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.”

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

18 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.

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.

19 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.

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.

20 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.”

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.

21 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.”

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.

22 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.

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.

23 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;

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.

24 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.

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.

25 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;

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.

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

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

27 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;

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.

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

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

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

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

30 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;

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.

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

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.

32 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;

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.

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

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

34 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;

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.

35 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.

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.

36 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.”

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.

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

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