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;

After this, Absalom prepared a chariot and horses for himself, 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.”

Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate. When any man had a suit which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him, and said, “What city are you from?” He said, “Your servant is of one of the tribes 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.”

Absalom said to him, “Behold, your matters are good and right; but there is no man deputized by the king to hear you.”

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.”

Absalom said moreover, “Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any suit or cause might come to me, and I would do him 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;

It was so, that when any man came near to bow down to him, he stretched out his hand, took hold of 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.

Absalom did this sort of thing to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole 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,

At the end of forty years, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, 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 your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the LORD shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.’”

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

The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So 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.”

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom is king 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;

Two hundred men went with Absalom out of Jerusalem, who were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they didn’t know anything.

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 sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

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

A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are after 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.”

David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise! Let’s flee, or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry to depart, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down evil on us, and strike 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.”

The king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.”

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

The king went out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women, who were 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.

The king went out, and all the people after him; and they stayed in Beth Merhak.

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.

All his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on 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.

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Return, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner and also an exile. Return to your 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.”

Whereas you came but yesterday, should I today make you go up and down with us, since I go where I may? Return, and take back your brothers. Mercy and truth be with you.”

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.”

Ittai answered the king and said, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king is, whether for death or for life, your servant will be there also.”

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.

David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him.

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;

All the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over. The king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness.

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.

Behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down God’s ark; and Abiathar went up until all the people finished passing out of the city.

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;

The king said to Zadok, “Carry God’s ark back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD’s eyes, he will bring me again, and show me both it and his habitation;

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 says, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am. Let him do to me as seems good to 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;

The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Aren’t you a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

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 stay at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

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

Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried God’s ark to Jerusalem again; and they stayed 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;

David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. All the people who were with him each covered his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

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

Someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

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;

When David had come to the top, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his tunic torn and earth on his head.

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

David said to him, “If you pass on with me, then you will 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 you return to the city, and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king. As I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant; then will you defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.’

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.

Don’t you have Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you? Therefore whatever you hear out of the king’s house, tell it to Zadok 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.”

Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son. Send to me everything that you shall hear by them.”

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

So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.