2 Samuel 15
1 Therfor aftir these thingis Absolon made a chaar to hym, and knyytis, and fifti men, that schulden go bifor hym.
Sometime later, Absalom got himself a chariot with horses, and fifty men as bodyguards to run ahead of him.
2 And Absolon roos eerli, and stood bisidis the entryng of the yate in the weie; and Absolon clepide to hym ech man, that hadde a cause that he schulde come to the doom of the kyng, and Absolon seide, Of what citee art thou? Which answeride, and seide, Of o lynage of Israel Y am, thi seruaunt.
He used to get up early and stand by the main road that led to the city gate. When people brought a case to the king for his decision, Absalom would call out and ask them, “What town are you from?” If they replied, “Your servant is from this particular tribe of Israel,”
3 And Absolon answeride to hym, Thi wordis semen to me good and iust, but noon is ordeyned of the kyng to here thee. And Absolon seide, Who schal ordeyne me iuge on the lond,
Absalom would tell them, “Look, you're in the right and you've got a good case. It's such a shame there's no one from the king to hear you.”
4 that alle men that han cause come to me, and Y deme iustly?
Then he would say, “If only there was someone to appoint me as judge for the country. Then everyone could come to me with their case or complaint, and I would give them justice.”
5 But whanne a man cam to Absolon to greete hym, he helde forth the hond, and took, and kisside that man;
When anyone came to bow down before him, Absalom would stop them by reaching out his hand, taking hold of him, and kissing him.
6 and Absolon dide this to al Israel, that cam to doom to be herd of the kyng; and Absolon drow awei the hertis of men of Israel.
This is how Absalom treated all the Israelites who came to the king for his judgment. So he captured the loyalty of the men of Israel.
7 Forsothe aftir foure yeer Absolon seide to kyng Dauid, Y schal go, and Y schal yelde my vowis, whiche Y vowide to the Lord in Ebron;
Four years later Absalom asked the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a promise I made to the Lord.
8 for thi seruaunt vowynge vowide, whanne he was in Gessur of Sirie, and seide, If the Lord bryngith ayen me in to Jerusalem, Y schal make sacrifice to the Lord.
For I, your servant, made this promise while living at Geshur in Aram, saying: ‘If the Lord does bring me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.’”
9 And the kyng seide to hym, Go thou in pees. And Absolon roos, and yede in to Ebron.
“Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom went to Hebron.
10 Forsothe Absolon sente aspieris in to al the lynage of Israel, and seide, Anoon as ye heren the sown of clarioun, seye ye, Absolon schal regne in Ebron.
Then Absalom sent his accomplices among all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the ram's horn, you shout, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’”
11 Forsothe twei hundrid men clepid of Jerusalem yeden with Absolon, and yede with symple herte, and outirli thei knewen not the cause.
Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They had been invited and went in all innocence, because they didn't know anything about what was planned.
12 Also Absolon clepide Achitofel of Gilo, the councelour of Dauid, fro his citee Gilo. And whanne he offride sacrifices a strong swerynge togidere was maad, and the puple rennynge togidere was encreessid with Absolon.
While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's advisor, asking him to come from Giloh, the town where he lived. The conspiracy grew stronger, and Absalom's followers went on increasing.
13 Therfor a messanger cam to Dauid, and seide, With al herte al Israel sueth Absolon.
A messenger came to tell David, “Absalom has the loyalty of the men of Israel.”
14 And Dauid seide to hise seruauntis that weren with hym in Jerusalem, Rise ye, and flee we; for noon ascaping schal be to us fro the face of Absolon; therfor haste ye to go out, lest he come, and ocupie vs, and fille on vs fallynge, and smyte the citee bi the scharpnesse of swerd.
David said to all the officials with him in Jerusalem, “Quick! Let's go! Otherwise we won't be able to get away from Absalom! We must leave immediately, or he will soon catch up with us, attack us, and kill the people here in the city.”
15 And the seruauntis of the kyng seiden to hym, We thi seruauntis schulen performe gladli alle thingis, what euer thingis oure lord the kyng schal comaunde.
“Whatever Your Majesty decides, we'll do what you want,” the king's servants replied.
16 Therfor the kyng yede out, and al his hous, on her feet; and the king lefte ten wymmen concubyns, `that is, secundarie wyues, to kepe the hous.
The king set off with his whole household following him, but he left behind ten concubines to look after the palace.
17 And the king yede out, and al Israel, on her feet, and the kyng stood fer fro the hous.
The king left with all his soldiers following him. He stopped at the last house,
18 And alle hise seruauntis yeden bisidis him, and the legiouns of Cerethi and of Ferethi, and alle men of Geth `strong fiyters, sixe hundrid men, that sueden him fro Geth, yeden on foote bifor the kyng.
and all his men marched past him, including all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had come with him from Gath.
19 Forsothe the kyng seide to Ethai of Geth, Whi comest thou with vs? Turne thou ayen, and dwelle with the kyng, for thou art a pilgrym, and thou yedist out fro thi place.
The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you coming with us too? Go back and stay with the new king, because you are a foreigner and an exile a long way from home.
20 Thou camest yistirdai, and to dai thou art compellid to go out with vs. Sotheli Y schal go, whidur Y schal go; turne ayen, and lede ayen thi britheren with thee, and the Lord do mercy and treuthe with thee, for thou schewidist grace and feith.
You only just got here, so why should I make you wander around with us now when I don't even know where I am going? Go back and take your men with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”
21 And Ethai answeride to the kyng, and seide, The Lord lyueth, and my lord the kyng lyueth, for in what euer place thou schalt be, my lord the kyng, ether in deeth ethir in lijf, there thi seruaunt schal be.
But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as Your Majesty lives, wherever Your Majesty may be, whether dead or alive, that's where your servant will be!”
22 And Dauid seide to Ethay, Come thou, and passe. And Ethai of Geth passide, and the kyng, and alle men that weren with hym, and the tother multitude.
“Go ahead, march on!” David replied. Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the families that were with him.
23 And alle men wepten with greet vois, and al the puple passide; and the kyng yede ouer the strond of Cedron, and al the puple yede ayens the weie of the olyue tree, that biholdith to deseert.
All the people in the countryside were crying aloud as everyone with David passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley with the king on the way toward the wilderness.
24 Forsothe and Sadoch the preest cam, and alle the dekenes with hym, and thei baren the arke of boond of pees of God, and thei diden doun the arke of God; and Abiathar stiede, til al the puple was passid that yede out of the citee.
Zadok was there too, and all the Levites were with him, carrying the Ark of God's Agreement. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had left the city.
25 And the kyng seide to Sadoch, Bere ayen the arke of God in to the citee; if Y schal fynde grace in the iyen of the Lord, he schal lede me ayen, and he schal schewe to me that arke and his tabernacle.
Then the king told Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I find the Lord approves of me, he will bring me back and let me see both the Ark and his Tent again.
26 Sotheli if the Lord seith, Thou plesist not me; Y am redi, do he that, that is good bifor hym silf.
But if he says, ‘I'm not happy with you,’ then here I stand. Let him do to me whatever he thinks best.”
27 And the kyng seide to Sadoch, preest, A! thou seere, `that is, profete, turne ayen in to the citee, with pees; and Achymaas, thi sone, and Jonathas, the sone of Abiathar, youre twei sones, be with you.
The king also told Zadok the priest, “You understand the situation, don't you? Go back to the city safely with your son Ahimaaz, and also Jonathan, son of Abiathar. You and Abiathar take both of your sons back with you.
28 Lo! Y schal be hid in the feeldi places of deseert, til word come fro you, and schewe to me.
I'll wait at the fords of the wilderness until I hear from you.”
29 Therfor Sadoch and Abiathar baren ayen the arke of God in to Jerusalem, and dwelliden there.
Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there.
30 Forsothe Dauid stiede on the hil of olyue trees, stiynge and wepynge, with the heed hilyd, and `goynge with nakid feet; but also al the puple that was with hym, stiede with the heed hilid, and wepte.
David went on his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he did so. He had his head covered, and walked barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads, weeping as they went along.
31 Forsothe it was teld to Dauid, that Achitofel was in the sweryng togidere with Absolon; and Dauid seide, Lord, Y byseche, make thou fonned the counsel of Achitofel.
David was told, “Ahithophel is one of the people conspiring with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, please make Ahithophel's advice worthless.”
32 And whanne Dauid stiede in to the hiyenesse of the hil, in which he schulde worschipe the Lord, lo! Cusi of Arath, with the cloth to-rent, and with the heed ful of erthe, cam to hym.
When David arrived at the top of the Mount of Olives, where people worshiped God, there to meet him was Hushai the Archite, with his robe torn and with dust on his head.
33 And Dauid seide to hym, If thou comest with me, thou schalt be to me to charge; sotheli if thou turnest ayen in to the citee,
David told him, “If you come with me, you'll only be a burden to me,
34 and seist to Absolon, Y am thi seruaunt, kyng, suffre thou me to lyue; as Y was the seruaunt of thi fadir, so Y schal be thi seruaunt; thou schalt distrye the counsel of Achitofel.
but if you go back to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, Your Majesty! Formerly I worked for your father, but now I'll work for you,’ then you can block Ahithophel's advice for me.
35 Forsothe thou hast with thee Sadoch and Abiathar, preestis; and `thou schalt schewe ech word, what euer word thou schalt here in the hows of the kyng, to Sadoch and Abiathar, preestis.
Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there too. Tell them everything you hear in the king's palace.
36 Sotheli twei sones `of hem ben with hem, Achymaas, sone of Sadoch, and Jonathan, sone of Abiathar; and ye schulen sende bi hem to me ech word which ye schulen here.
Their two sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, are there with them. Send them to me so they can tell me everything you hear.”
37 Therfor whanne Chusi, freend of Dauid, cam in to the citee, also Absolon entryde in to Jerusalem.
David's friend Hushai arrived back in Jerusalem at the same time Absalom was entering the city.
