2 Samuel 15

1 And it came to pass, after this, that Absolom prepared him chariots and horses, —and fifty men, to run 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 Absolom used to rise up early, and take his stand beside the way of the gate, —and so it was—when any man who had a controversy would come unto the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said: Of what city, art, thou? And he said, Of one of the tribes of Israel, is thy servant. And Absolom said unto him,

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 See! thy cause, is good and right, —but, to hear it, thou hast no one, from the king.

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

4 And Absalom said, Oh would that I were appointed to judge in the land! that, unto me, might come every man having a complaint or a defence, then would I see him righted.

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 Moreover, so it used to be, that, when any man came near to do him homage, he would put forth his hand, and lay hold of him, and kiss 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 Absolom did, after this manner, to all Israel who came for judgment, unto the king, —so Absolom stole away the heart 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 it came to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absolom said unto the king—Let me go, I pray thee, that I may pay my vow which I have vowed unto Yahweh, in Hebron;

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 servant vowed, a vow, while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, —If Yahweh, will but bring me back, unto Jerusalem, then will I serve Yahweh,

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 said unto him—Go and prosper! So he arose and went to Hebron.

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

10 And Absolom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, —When ye hear the sound of the horn, then shall ye say, Absolom hath become king 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 Absolom, went two hundred men, out of Jerusalem, who, having been bidden, were going in their simplicity, —neither knew they anything.

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 And Absalom sent and called Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, out of his city, out of Gilo, when he was offering sacrifices, —and so it was that the conspiracy was strong, and, the people, went on multiplying with Absolom.

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 one bearing tidings unto David, saying, —It hath come about, that the heart of the men of Israel goeth after Absolom.

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

14 Then said David, to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem—Arise and let us flee, or we shall have no way of escape from the face of Absolom, —make speed to depart, lest he make speed, and so overtake us, and bring down misfortune upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

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 king’s servants said unto the king, —According to all that my lord the king shall choose, here are thy servants.

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 went forth, with all his household attending him, —but the king left ten women who were concubines, to keep 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 Thus then the king went forth, with all the people attending him, —and they came to a stand at a place that was far 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 servants, were passing on beside him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, —and, all the Gittites—six hundred men, who had accompanied him from Gath, —were passing 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 said the king, unto Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore shouldest, thou also, go with us? return and abide with the king, for, a stranger, art thou, moreover also, an exile, art thou from thine own country.

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 Only yesterday, camest thou, and, today, shall I let thee wander with us, on our journey, seeing that, I, am going, whithersoever I may? Return and take back thy brethren with thee, and may Yahweh deal with thee in lovingkindness and faithfulness.

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 But Ittai answered the king, and said, —By the life of Yahweh, and by the life of my lord the king, surely, in whatsoever place, my lord the king, may be, whether for death or for life, there will, thy servant, be.

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 said David unto Ittai—Go, and pass on. So Ittai the Gittite passed on, with all his men, and all the little ones 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, fall the land, was weeping, with a loud voice, and, all the people, were passing on, —the king also, was passing on, through the torrent-bed of Kidron, and all the people were passing on over the face of the way leading to the wilderness.

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, and all the Levites with him, were bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up, until all the people had made an end of passing over out of the city.

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 said the king unto Zadok, Take back the ark of God into the city, —if I find favour in the eyes of Yahweh, then will he bring me back, and let me see both him and his habitation,

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 thus, he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do unto me as may be 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 And the king said, unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not, a seer? return into the city, in peace, —and Ahimaaz thine own son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar—your two sons, with you.

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 See! I, am tarrying in the waste plains of the wilderness—until there come word from you, to tell 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 So Zadok and Abiathar took back the ark of God to Jerusalem, —and abode there.

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

30 Now, David, was going up by the ascent of Olivet, weeping as he went up, with his head covered, himself, passing on barefoot, —and all the people who were with him, covered every man his head, and went up, weeping as they went.

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 And, unto David, it was told, saying, Ahithophel, is among the conspirators with Absolom. And David said, Turn to foolishness, I pray thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.

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

32 And it came to pass, when David reached the summit, where he bowed himself down unto God, that lo! there met him, Hushai the Archite, his tunic rent, and earth upon 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 And David said unto him, —If thou pass over with me, then shalt thou become unto me, a burden;

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

34 but, if, to the city, thou return, then canst thou say unto Absolom—Thy servant, I, O king, will be, as, the servant of thy father, I was formerly, so will I, now, be thy servant: thus shalt thou frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

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, with thee, there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so then it shall be, that, what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the house of the king, thou shalt tell to Zadok and to 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 Lo! they have there with them, their two sons, Ahimaaz for Zadok, and Jonathan for Abiathar, —so shall ye send, by their hand, unto me, everything which ye shall hear.

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, David’s friend, went into the city, —when, Absolom, was about to enter Jerusalem.

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