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 cometh to pass afterwards, that Absalom prepareth for himself a chariot, and horses, and fifty men are running 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 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 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 Absalom saith unto him, 'See, thy matters [are] good and straightforward — and there is none hearkening to thee from the king.'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 goeth out, and all his household at his feet, and the king leaveth ten women — 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 goeth out, and all the people at his feet, and they stand still at the farthest off 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 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 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 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 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."

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 should say, 'I have no delight in you;' look, here I am. Let him do to me as seems good to 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 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 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 Look, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform 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 Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark to Jerusalem and returned it there.

And Zadok taketh back — and Abiathar — the ark of God to Jerusalem, and they abide 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 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 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 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 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 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 David said to him, "If you pass on with me, then you will 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 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.

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 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 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 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."

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

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