2 Samuel 15

1 And after this Absalom began to furnish himself with a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

And it came to pass after this that Abessalom prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2 And Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road. Then when anyone had a dispute which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom would call out to him and say, "What city are you from?" When he said, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,"

And Abessalom rose early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate: and it came to pass that every man who had a cause, came to the king for judgement, and Abessalom cried to him, and said to him, Of what city are you? And he said, Your servant [is] of one of the tribes of Israel.

3 then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your matters are good and right; but there is no one from the king to hear you."

And Abessalom said to him, See, your affairs [are] right and clear, yet you have no one [appointed] of the king to hear you.

4 And Absalom would say, "Oh that I were made judge in the land, then anyone who had a dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice."

And Abessalom said, O that one would make me a judge in the land; then every man who had a dispute or a cause would come to me, and I would judge him!

5 It was so, that when any man came near to do him obeisance, he would extend his hand and embrace him, and kiss him.

And it came to pass when a man came near to do him obeisance, that he stretched out his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.

6 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.

And Abessalom did after this manner to all Israel that came to the king for judgement; and Abessalom gained the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 It happened at the end of four years, that Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to YHWH, in Hebron.

And it came to pass after forty years, that Abessalom said to his father, I will go now, and pay my vows, which I vowed to the Lord in Chebron.

8 For your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If YHWH will bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve YHWH in Hebron.'"

For your servant vowed a vow when I lived at Gedsur in Syria, saying, If the Lord should indeed restore me to Jerusalem, then will I serve the Lord.

9 The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose, and went to Hebron.

And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he arose and went to Chebron.

10 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.'"

And Abessalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, When you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shall you say, Abessalom is become king in Chebron.

11 Two hundred men went with Absalom out of Jerusalem, who were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they did not know anything.

And there went with Abessalom two hundred chosen men from Jerusalem; and they went in their simplicity, and knew not anything.

12 And he sent and invited Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh, where he was offering sacrifice. The conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

And Abessalom sent to Achitophel the Theconite, the counsellor of David, from his city, from Gola, where he was sacrificing: and there was a strong conspiracy; and the people with Abessalom were increasingly numerous.

13 A messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom."

And there came a messenger to David, saying, the heart of the men of Israel is gone after Abessalom.

14 So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, otherwise none of us shall escape from Absalom. Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring down the city on top of us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword."

And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, Rise, and let us flee, for we have no refuge from Abessalom: make haste and go, lest he overtake us speedily, and bring evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.

15 Then the king's servants said to him, "Look, your servants are ready to do whatever the king chooses."

And the king's servants said to the king, In all things which our lord the king chooses, behold [we are] your servants.

16 And the king went out with all his household following him. But the king left ten women, who were secondary wives, to take care of the palace.

And the king and all his house went out on foot: and the king left ten women of his concubines to keep the house.

17 So the king went out with all his servants following him, and they stopped at the last house.

And the king and all his servants went out on foot; and abode in a distant house.

18 And all the people passed on before him. And all those with him, all the officers and warriors, were six hundred men, and they passed on before him. And when all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites who followed him from Gath passed on before the king.

And all his servants passed on by his side, and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and they stood by the olive tree in the wilderness: and all the people marched near him, and all his court, and all the men of might, and all the men of war, six hundred: and they were present at his side: and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and all the six hundred Gittites that came on foot out of Geth, and they went on before the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and you also are an exile from your place.

And the king said to Ethi, the Gittite, Why do you also go with us? return, and dwell with the king, for you are a stranger, and you has come forth as a sojourner out of your place.

20 You came only yesterday. Should I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back, and take your brothers with you, and may YHWH show you kindness and truth."

Whereas you came yesterday, shall I today cause you to travel with us, and shall you [thus] change your place? you did come forth yesterday, and today shall I set you in motion to go along with us? I indeed will go wherever I may go: return then, and cause your brethren to return with you, and may the Lord deal mercifully and truly with you.

21 Ittai answered the king, and said, "As YHWH lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord shall be, whether for death or for life, even there also will your servant be."

And Ethi answered the king and said, [As] the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, in the place wherever my lord shall be, whether it be for death or life, there shall your servant be.

22 So David said to Ittai, "Go and pass over." Then Ittai passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him.

And the king said to Ethi, Come and pass over with me. So Ethi the Gittite and the king passed over, and all his servants, and all the multitude with him.

23 And all the land wept aloud as all the people crossed over. And the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people passed before him on the Olive road into the wilderness.

And all the country wept with a loud voice. And all the people passed by over the brook of Kedron; and the king crossed the brook Kedron: and all the people and the king passed on towards the way of the wilderness.

24 And look, Zadok also came (and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of YHWH) and Abiathar. And they set down the ark of God until all the people finished passing by from the city.

And behold also Sadoc, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Baethar: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had passed out of the city.

25 The king said to Zadok, "Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of YHWH, he will bring me back and show me both it and his dwelling place;

And the king said to Sadoc, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I should find favour in the eyes of the Lord, then will he bring me back, and he will show me it and its beauty.

26 but if he should say, 'I have no delight in you;' look, here I am. Let him do to me as seems good to him."

But if he should say thus, I have no pleasure in you; behold, [here] I am, let him do to me according to that which is good in his eyes.

27 And the king said also to Zadok the priest, "Look, you return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

And the king said to Sadoc the priest, Behold, you shall return to the city in peace, and Achimaas your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you.

28 Look, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."

Behold, I continue in arms in Araboth of the desert, until there come tidings from you to report to me.

29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark to Jerusalem and returned it there.

So Sadoc and Abiathar brought back the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem, and it continued there.

30 And David went up by the Ascent of the Olives, and wept as he went, and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up weeping as they went.

And David went up by the ascent of [the mount of] Olives, ascending and weeping, and had his head covered, and went barefooted: and all the people that were with him covered [every] man his head; and they went up, ascending and weeping.

31 And it had been told to David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." David said, "YHWH, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."

And it was reported to David, saying, Achitophel also [is] amongst the conspirators with Abessalom. And David said, O Lord my God, disconcert, I pray you, the counsel of Achitophel.

32 It happened that when David had come to the top, where God was worshiped, look, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and earth on his head.

And David came as far as Ros, where he worshipped God: and behold, Chusi the chief friend of David came out to meet him, having tore his garment, and earth [was] upon his head.

33 David said to him, "If you pass on with me, then you will be a burden to me;

And David said to him, If you should go over with me, then will you be a burden to me;

34 but if you return to the city, and tell Absalom, 'Your brothers have left, O king, after your father left, and now I am your servant, O king. Allow me to live. As I have been your father's servant in the past, so now I am your servant,' then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

but if you shall return to the city, and shall say to Abessalom, Your brethren are passed over, and the king your father is passed over after me: and now I am your servant, O king, suffer me to live: at one time even of late I was the servant of your father, and now I [am] your humble servant—so shall you disconcert for me, the counsel of Achitophel.

35 And look, Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you. So whatever you hear from the king's house you must tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

And, behold, [there are] there with you Sadoc and Abiathar the priests; and it shall be that every word that you shall hear of the house of the king, you shall report it to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests.

36 Look, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And by them you must send to me everything that you hear."

Behold, [there are] there with them their two sons, Achimaas the son of Sadoc, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar; and by them you shall report to me every word which you shall hear.

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

So Chusi the friend of David went into the city, and Abessalom was lately gone into Jerusalem.