2 Samuel 15

1 And it cometh to pass afterwards, that Absalom prepareth for himself a chariot, and horses, and fifty men are running before him;

After this, Absalom prepared him charets and horses, and fiftie men to runne before him.

2 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.'

And Absalom rose vp early, and stoode hard by the entring in of the gate: and euery man that had any matter, and came to the King for iudgement, him did Absalom call vnto him, and sayde, Of what citie art thou? And he answered, Thy seruant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

3 And Absalom saith unto him, 'See, thy matters [are] good and straightforward — and there is none hearkening to thee from the king.'

Then Absalom said vnto him, See, thy matters are good and righteous, but there is no man deputed of the King to heare thee.

4 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.'

Absalom sayd moreouer, Oh that I were made Iudge in the lande, that euery man which hath any matter of controuersie, might come to me, that I might do him iustice.

5 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;

And when any man came neere to him, and did him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and tooke him, and kissed him.

6 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.

And on this maner did Absalom to al Israel, that came to the King for iudgement: so Absalom stale the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 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,

And after fourtie yeeres, Absalom sayd vnto the King, I pray thee, let me go to Hebron, and render my vowe which I haue vowed vnto the Lord.

8 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.'

For thy seruant vowed a vowe when I remayned at Geshur, in Aram, saying, If the Lord shall bring me againe in deede to Ierusalem, I will serue the Lord.

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

And the King sayd vnto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.

10 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.'

Then Absalom sent spyes throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, When yee heare the sound of the trumpet, Ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

11 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;

And with Absalom went two hundreth men out of Ierusalem, that were called: and they went in their simplicitie, knowing nothing.

12 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.

Also Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite Dauids counseller, from his citie Giloh, while he offred sacrifices: and the treason was great: for the people encreased still with Absalom.

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

Then came a messenger to Dauid, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are turned after Absalom.

14 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.'

Then Dauid sayd vnto all his seruants that were with him at Ierusalem, Vp, and let vs flee: for we shall not escape from Absalom: make speede to depart, lest he come suddenly and take vs, and bring euill vpon vs, and smite the citie with the edge of the sworde.

15 And the servants of the king say unto the king, 'According to all that my lord the king chooseth — lo, thy servants [do].'

And the Kings seruants sayd vnto him, Behold, thy seruants are ready to do according to all that my lord the King shall appoynt.

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

So the King departed and all his houshold after him, and the King left ten concubines to keepe the house.

17 And the king goeth out, and all the people at his feet, and they stand still at the farthest off house.

And the King went forth and all the people after him, and taried in a place farre off.

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.

And all his seruants went about him, and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, euen sixe hudreth men which were come after him from Gath, went before the King.

19 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.

Then sayde the King to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore commest thou also with vs? Returne aud abide with the King, for thou art a stranger: depart thou therefore to thy place.

20 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.'

Thou camest yesterday, and should I cause thee to wander to day and go with vs? I will goe whither I can: therefore returne thou and cary againe thy brethren: mercy and trueth be with thee.

21 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.'

And Ittai answered the King, and sayde, As the Lord liueth, and as my lord the King liueth, in what place my lord the King shalbe, whether in death or life, euen there surely will thy seruant bee.

22 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.

Then Dauid sayd to Ittai, Come, and go forward. And Ittai the Gittite went, and all his men, and all the children that were with him.

23 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;

And all the countrey wept with a loude voyce, and all the people went forward, but the King passed ouer the brooke Kidron: and all the people went ouer toward the way of ye wildernes.

24 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.

And lo, Zadok also was there, and all the Leuites with him, bearing the Arke of the couenant of God: and they set downe the Arke of God, and Abiathar went vp vntill the people were all come out of the citie.

25 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;

Then the King said vnto Zadok, Carie the Arke of God againe into the citie: if I shall finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me againe, and shewe me both it, and the Tabernacle thereof.

26 and if thus He say, I have not delighted in thee; here [am] I, He doth to me as [is] good in His eyes.'

But if he thus say, I haue no delite in thee, behold, here am I, let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes.

27 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;

The King sayde againe vnto Zadok the Priest, Art not thou a Seer? returne into the citie in peace, and your two sonnes with you: to wit, Ahimaaz thy sonne, and Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar.

28 see ye, I am tarrying in the plains of the wilderness till the coming in of a word from you to declare to me.'

Behold, I wil tarie in the fieldes of the wildernesse, vntill there come some worde from you to be tolde me.

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

Zadok therefore and Abiathar caried the Arke of God againe to Ierusalem, and they taried there.

30 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;

And Dauid went vp the mount of oliues and wept as he went vp, and had his head couered, and went barefooted: and al the people that was with him, had euery man his head couered, and as they went vp, they wept.

31 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.'

Then one tolde Dauid, saying, Ahithophel is one of them that haue cospired with Absalom: and Dauid sayde, O Lord, I pray thee, turne the counsell of Ahithophel into foolishnesse.

32 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;

Then Dauid came to the toppe of the mount where he worshipped God: and beholde, Hushai the Archite came against him with his coate torne, and hauing earth vpon his head.

33 and David saith to him, 'If thou hast passed on with me then thou hast been on me for a burden,

Vnto whom Dauid sayd, If thou goe with me, thou shalt be a burthen vnto me.

34 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;

But if thou returne to the citie, and say vnto Absalom, I wil be thy seruant, O King, (as I haue bene in time past thy fathers seruant, so will I now be thy seruant) then thou mayest bring me the counsell of Ahithophel to nought.

35 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.

And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the Priests? therefore what so euer thou shalt heare out of the Kings house, thou shalt shew to Zadok and Abiathar the Priests.

36 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.'

Beholde, there are with them their two sonnes: Ahimaaz Zadoks sonne, and Ionathan Abiathars sonne: by them also shall ye send me euery thing that ye can heare.

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

So Hushai Dauids friend went into the citie: and Absalom came into Ierusalem.