2 Samuel 15

1 And after this Absalom got himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 And Absalom would rise early and stand beside the road at the gate; and whenever a man had a case that was coming to the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him and say, “What city are you from?” And the man would say, “Your slave is from one of the tribes of Israel.”

3 And Absalom would say to him, “Look, your words are good and straightforward — and there is no one from the king to hear you.” 4 And Absalom would say, “Who will make me a judge in the land? Then every man with a dispute or a case would come to me, and I would do him justice.”

5 And whenever a man came near to bow down to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom did this to all Israel who came to the king for judgment; and Absalom made the hearts of the men of Israel his own.

7 And at the end of forty years Absalom said to his father, “Let me go and pay my vows, which I vowed to the Lord, in Hebron. [a] 8 For your slave vowed a vow while I was living in Geshur, in Aram, and said: If the Lord truly brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.” [b] 9 And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” And he got up and went to Hebron.

10 And Absalom sent spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’” 11 And two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, invited guests; and they went in all innocence and knew nothing at all. 12 And Absalom sent and called for Ahithophel the Gelmonite, David’s counselor, from his city, from Gola, while he was sacrificing. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom went on growing more and more. [c]

13 And the man who brought word came to David and said, “The heart of the men of Israel has gone after Absalom.” 14 And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Get up, and let us run, for there is no safety for us from Absalom. Hurry and go, or he will be quicker and overtake us and drive evil down on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 And the king’s servants said to the king, “Whatever our lord the king chooses — look, we are your servants.”

16 And the king went out, and all his household on foot; and the king left ten women, his concubines, to keep the house. 17 And the king went out, and all his servants on foot, and they halted at the far house. [d] 18 And all his servants passed by at his side, and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, and they halted by the olive tree in the wilderness. And all the people went past close beside him, and all who were about him, and all the chief men and all the fighting men, six hundred of them, and they were there at his side. And all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites — six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath — went on ahead of the king. [e]

19 And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you going with us too? Turn back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner, and you have moved away from your own place. 20 You came only yesterday — and today am I to set you wandering with us, and are you to move your dwelling as well? You came out yesterday; and today am I to move you along to go with us? I will go wherever I go. Turn back, and take your brothers back with you; and may the Lord deal with you in mercy and truth.” [f] 21 And Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, in whatever place my lord may be — whether for death or for life — there your slave will be.” 22 And the king said to Ittai, “Come, then, and cross over with me.” And Ittai the Gittite crossed over, and all his servants, and all the crowd that was with him.

23 And all the land was weeping with a loud voice. And all the people were crossing at the Kidron valley, and the king crossed the Kidron valley; and all the people and the king went on toward the road to the wilderness.

24 And there was Zadok too, and all the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Baithar. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up, until all the people had finished passing out of the city. [g] 25 And the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and will show me it and its beauty. [h] 26 And if he says this — I have no delight in you — here I am; let him do to me what is good in his eyes.”

27 And the king said to Zadok the priest, “See — you are going back to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar, your two sons with you. [i] 28 See — I will be waiting under arms in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to tell me.” [j] 29 So Zadok and Abiathar brought the ark back to Jerusalem, and it stayed there.

30 And David went up the ascent of the olive trees, going up and weeping, with his head covered; and he walked barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads, every man of them, and they went up, going up and weeping. [k] 31 And word came to David that Ahithophel too was among those conspiring with Absalom. And David said, “Break up the counsel of Ahithophel, Lord my God.”

32 And David was coming as far as Roos, where he bowed down to God. And there was Hushai the Archite, David’s companion, coming to meet him, his tunic torn and earth on his head. [l] 33 And David said to him, “If you cross over with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your brothers have crossed over, and the king your father has crossed over behind me; and now I am your servant, O king — let me live. I was your father’s servant then and just now, and now I am your slave’ — then you will break up the counsel of Ahithophel for me. [m]

35 And look — Zadok and Abiathar the priests are there with you. And every word you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Look — their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz Zadok’s son and Jonathan Abiathar’s son. Send to me by their hand every word you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David’s companion, went into the city; and Absalom was coming into Jerusalem.