2 Samuel 15

¹ And it comes to pass afterwards, that Absalom prepares for himself a chariot, and horses, and fifty men are running before him; ² 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 unto the king for judgment, that Absalom calls unto him, and said, "Of what city [are] you?" and he said, "Of one of the tribes of Israel [is] your servant." ³ And Absalom said unto him, "See, your matters [are] good and straightforward - and there is none hearkening to you from the king." ⁴ And Absalom said, "Who does make me a judge in the land, that unto me does come every man who has a plea and judgment? - then I have declared him righteous." ⁵ And it has come to pass, in the drawing nearing of any one 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 Absalom does according to this thing to all Israel who come in for judgment unto the king, and Absalom steals the heart of the men of Israel. ⁷ And it comes to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, "Let me go, I pray you, and I complete my vow, that I vowed to Yahweh in Hebron, ⁸ for a vow has your servant vowed in my dwelling in Geshur, in Aram, saying, If Yahweh does certainly bring me back to Jerusalem, then I have served Yahweh." ⁹ And the king said to him, "Go in peace"; and he rises and goes to Hebron, ¹⁰ and Absalom sends spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, "At your hearing the voice of the trumpet, then you have said, Absalom has reigned 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; ¹² and Absalom sends 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 And he who is declaring tidings comes in unto David, saying, "The heart of the men of Israel has been after Absalom." ¹⁴ And David said 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 And the servants of the king say unto the king, "According to all that my lord the king chooses - lo, your servants [do]." ¹⁶ And the king goes out, and all his household at his feet, and the king leaves ten women - concubines - to keep the house. ¹⁷ 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 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 And the king said unto Ittai the Gittite, "Why do you go - you also - with us? turn back - and abide with the king, for you [are] a stranger, and also an exile you - to your place. ²⁰ Yesterday [is] your coming in, and to-day I move you to go with us, and I am going on that which I am going! - turn back, and take back your brethren with you, - kindness and truth." ²¹ And Ittai answers the king and said, "Yahweh lives, and my lord the king lives, surely in the place where my lord the king is - if for death, if for life, surely there is your servant." ²² And David said unto 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 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 lo, also Zadok, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of Elohim, and they make the ark of Elohim firm, and Abiathar goes up, till the completion of all the people to pass over out of the city. ²⁵ And the king said to Zadok, "Take back the ark of Elohim to the city; if I find grace in the eyes of Yahweh, then He has brought me back, and shown me it and His habitation; ²⁶ and if thus He say, I have not delighted in you; here [am] I, He does to me as [is] good in His eyes." ²⁷ And the king said unto Zadok the priest, "Are you a seer? turn back to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar, your two sons with you; ²⁸ see you, I am tarrying in the plains of the wilderness till the coming in of a word from you to declare to me." ²⁹ And Zadok takes back - and Abiathar - the ark of Elohim to Jerusalem, and they abide there. ³⁰ And David is going up in the ascent of the 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 covered each his head, and have gone up, going up and weeping; ³¹ and David declared, saying, "Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom"; and David said, "Make foolish, I pray You, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh." ³² And it comes to pass, David has come unto the top, where he bows himself to Elohim, and lo, to meet him [is] Hushai the Archite, his coat rent, and earth on his head; ³³ and David said to him, "If you have passed on with me then you have been on me for a burden, ³⁴ and if to the city you do turn back, and have said to Absalom, Your servant I am, O king; servant of your father I [am] also hitherto, and now, I [am] also your servant; then you have made void for me the counsel of Ahithophel; ³⁵ and are there not with you there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it has been, the whole of the matter that you hear from the house of the king you do declare to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Lo, there with them [are] their two sons, Ahimaaz to Zadok, and Jonathan to Abiathar, and you have sent by their hand unto me anything that you hear." ³⁷ And Hushai, David's friend, comes in to the city, and Absalom comes in to Jerusalem.