1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.2 And Absalom rose early, and stood beside the way of the gate; and it was so, that when any man who had a controversy had to come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.3 And Absalom said to him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man to hear thee {appointed} by the king.4 And Absalom said, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any controversy and cause might come to me, and I would do him justice!5 And it was so, that when any man came near to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.6 And in this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; and Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.7 And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Absalom said to the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay in Hebron my vow which I have vowed to Jehovah.8 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, If Jehovah shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve Jehovah.9 And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he rose up and went to Hebron.10 And Absalom sent emissaries into all the tribes of Israel, saying, When ye hear the sound of the trumpet, ye shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron.11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were invited; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew nothing.12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, from Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. And the conspiracy gathered strength; and the people increased continually with Absalom.13 And there came one to David who reported saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.14 And David said to all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Rise up and let us flee; for we shall not {else} escape from Absalom. Be quick to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.15 And the king's servants said to the king, Behold, thy servants {will do} whatever my lord the king shall choose.16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him, and the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and stayed at the remote house.18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed over before the king.19 And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king; for thou art a foreigner, and besides, thou hast emigrated to the place where thou {dwellest}.20 Thou didst come yesterday, and should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I can? Return and take back thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee!21 And Ittai answered the king and said, {As} Jehovah liveth, and {as} my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over; the king also himself passed over the torrent Kidron, and all the people passed over, towards the way of the wilderness.24 And behold, Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, 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 passed completely out of the city.25 And the king said to Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find favour in the eyes of Jehovah, he will bring me again, and shew me it, and its habitation.26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, {here am} I, let him do to me as seemeth good to him.27 And the king said to Zadok the priest, Thou art the seer: return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.28 See, I will stop in the plains of the desert, until there come word from you to inform me.29 And Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem; and they abode there.30 But David went up by the ascent of the Olives, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot; and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.31 And one told David saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. Then said David, Jehovah, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.32 And it came to pass, when David had come to the summit, where he worshipped God, that behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.33 And David said to him, If thou passest on with me, thou wilt be a burden to me;34 but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so now will I be thy servant; then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it shall be, {that} whatsoever thing thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.36 Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's {son}, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear.37 And Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

1 En daarna het Absalom vir hom 'n wa en perde aangeskaf en vyftig man om voor hom uit te loop.2 Verder het Absalom gereeld vroeg opgestaan en langs die pad na die poort gaan staan; en Absalom het elkeen wat 'n saak gehad het om na die koning te kom vir regspraak, aangeroep en gesê: Uit watter stad is jy? As hy dan antwoord: U dienaar is uit een van die stamme van Israel --3 dan sê Absalom vir hom: Kyk, jou saak is goed en reg, maar van die koning se kant sal niemand jou gehoor gee nie.4 Verder het Absalom gesê: Mag hulle my as regter in die land aanstel, dat elkeen wat 'n geskil of regsaak het, na my kan kom; dan sal ,k aan hom reg laat geskied.5 En elke keer as iemand nader kom om voor hom te buig, steek hy sy hand uit en gryp hom en soen hom.6 Op die manier het Absalom met al die Israeliete gehandel wat vir regspraak na die koning kom, sodat Absalom die hart van die manne van Israel gesteel het.7 En n verloop van vier jaar het Absalom aan die koning gesê: Laat my tog gaan en my gelofte wat ek aan die HERE gedoen het, in Hebron betaal;8 want u dienaar het 'n gelofte gedoen toe ek in Gesur in Aram gewoon het, en gesê: As die HERE my werklik in Jerusalem terugbring, sal ek die HERE dien.9 Toe sê die koning vir hom: Gaan in vrede! En hy het hom klaargemaak en na Hebron gegaan.10 Verder het Absalom spioene uitgestuur onder al die stamme van Israel om te sê: As julle die geluid van die ramshoring hoor, moet julle sê: Absalom is koning in Hebron!11 En uit Jerusalem het twee honderd man met Absalom saamgetrek wat genooi was en in hulle onskuld gegaan het sonder dat hulle van die hele saak iets geweet het.12 Absalom het ook, terwyl hy die slagoffers bring, Agitofel, die Giloniet, 'n raadgewer van Dawid, uit sy stad, uit Gilo, laat roep. So het dan die sameswering sterk geword en die mense aldeur meer by Absalom aangesluit.13 Toe daar dan 'n boodskapper by Dawid kom en sê: Die hart van die manne van Israel is agter Absalom aan --14 het Dawid aan al sy dienaars wat by hom in Jerusalem was, gesê: Maak klaar en laat ons vlug, want daar sal vir ons geen ontkoming wees voor Absalom uit nie! Maak gou om weg te kom, sodat hy ons nie miskien gou inhaal en onheil oor ons bring en die stad met die skerpte van die swaard verslaan nie.15 En die dienaars van die koning sê vir die koning: Net soos my heer die koning verkies -- hier is u dienaars!16 En die koning het uitgegaan met sy hele huis agter hom aan, maar die koning het tien byvroue agter laat bly om die huis op te pas.17 En toe die koning met al die mense agter hom aan uitgetrek het, het hulle bly staan by die verste huis,18 onderwyl al sy dienaars langs hom verbytrek, ook al die Kreti en al die Pleti. Ook al die Gittiete, ses honderd man wat uit Gat agter hom aan gekom het, het voor die koning verbygetrek.19 En die koning sê vir Ittai, die Gittiet: Waarvoor sou jy ook met ons saamgaan? Draai om en bly by die koning, want jy is 'n uitlander en ook 'n balling uit jou woonplek.20 Jy het gister gekom, en vandag sou ek jou laat rondswerwe om met ons saam te trek terwyl ek wie weet waarheen gaan! Draai om, en bring jou broers terug. Mag guns en trou met jou wees!21 Maar Ittai het die koning geantwoord en gesê: So waar as die HERE leef en my heer die koning leef, voorwaar, op die plek waar my heer die koning sal wees vir dood of vir lewe, daar sal u dienaar sekerlik ook wees!22 Toe sê Dawid vir Ittai: Gaan, trek dan verby! En Ittai, die Gittiet, het verbygetrek met al sy manne en al die kinders wat by hom was.23 En die hele land het hardop gehuil terwyl al die mense verbytrek; en die koning het deur die spruit Kidron getrek; en al die mense het deurgetrek op pad na die woestyn.24 En kyk, Sadok was ook daar, en al die Leviete by hom wat die verbondsark van God dra, en hulle het die ark van God neergesit -- Abjatar het ook opgetrek -- totdat al die mense uit die stad tot die laaste toe deurgetrek het.25 Toe sê die koning vir Sadok: Bring die ark van God terug in die stad. As ek genade vind in die oë van die HERE, sal Hy my terugbring, en Hy sal my dit en sy woning laat sien.26 Maar as Hy so sê: Ek het in jou geen behae nie -- hier is ek! Laat Hy met my doen soos goed is in sy oë.27 Verder het die koning aan die priester Sadok gesê: U is tog siener? Gaan in vrede na die stad terug, en julle twee seuns, Ah¡ma„s, jou seun, en Jonatan, die seun van Abjatar, met julle saam.28 Kyk, ek vertoef by die woestyndriwwe totdat daar 'n woord van julle kom om my in te lig.29 En Sadok en Abjatar het die ark van God teruggebring na Jerusalem en daar gebly.30 En Dawid het die hoogte van die olywe opgeklim, terwyl hy aldeur loop en ween; en sy hoof was bedek, en hy het kaalvoet geloop; en al die mense wat by hom was, hulle het elkeen sy hoof bedek en opgegaan en aldeur geween.31 Nadat aan Dawid meegedeel is: Agitofel is onder die samesweerders met Absalom saam, het Dawid gesê: o HERE, verydel tog die raad van Agitofel!32 En toe Dawid tot bo-op die top kom, waar hulle God aanbid het, ontmoet Husai, die Arkiet, hom daar, met geskeurde rok en grond op sy hoof.33 En Dawid sê vir hom: As jy saam met my verder gaan, sal jy my tot 'n las wees.34 Maar as jy teruggaan na die stad en vir Absalom sê: U dienaar, o koning, wil ek wees; tevore was ek wel u vader se dienaar, maar nou is ek u dienaar -- dan kan jy vir my die raad van Agitofel verydel.35 En is die priesters Sadok en Abjatar nie daar saam met jou nie? Alles wat jy dan hoor uit die huis van die koning, moet jy aan Sadok en Abjatar, die priesters, te kenne gee.36 Kyk, hulle twee seuns is daar by hulle, Ah¡ma„s van Sadok en Jonatan van Abjatar, en deur hulle moet julle alles wat julle verneem, aan my laat weet.37 Daarop het Husai, die vriend van Dawid, in die stad gekom, terwyl Absalom aankom na Jerusalem.