1 After this, Absalom prepared a chariot and horses for himself, and fifty men to run before him. 2 Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate. When any man had a suit which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him, and said, "What city are you from?"

He said, "Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel."

3 Absalom said to him, "Behold, your matters are good and right; but there is no man deputized by the king to hear you." 4 Absalom said moreover, "Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any suit or cause might come to me, and I would do him justice!" 5 It was so, that when any man came near to bow down to him, he stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and kissed him. 6 Absalom did this sort of thing to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 At the end of forty years, Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to Yahweh, in Hebron. 8 For your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If Yahweh shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve Yahweh.’"

9 The king said to him, "Go in peace."

So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!’"

11 Two hundred men went with Absalom out of Jerusalem, who were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they didn’t know anything. 12 Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. 13 A messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom."

14 David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise! Let’s flee, or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry to depart, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down evil on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword."

15 The king’s servants said to the king, "Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses."

16 The king went out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house. 17 The king went out, and all the people after him; and they stayed in Beth Merhak. 18 All his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why do you also go with us? Return, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner and also an exile. Return to your own place. 20 Whereas you came but yesterday, should I today make you go up and down with us, since I go where I may? Return, and take back your brothers. Mercy and truth be with you."

21 Ittai answered the king and said, "As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king is, whether for death or for life, your servant will be there also."

22 David said to Ittai, "Go and pass over." Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him. 23 All the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over. The king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness. 24 Behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down God’s ark; and Abiathar went up until all the people finished passing out of the city. 25 The king said to Zadok, "Carry God’s ark back into the city. If I find favor in Yahweh’s eyes, he will bring me again, and show me both it and his habitation; 26 but if he says, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am. Let him do to me as seems good to him." 27 The king said also to Zadok the priest, "Aren’t you a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 Behold, I will stay at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." 29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried God’s ark to Jerusalem again; and they stayed there. 30 David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. All the people who were with him each covered his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

31 Someone told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom."

David said, "Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."

32 When David had come to the top, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his tunic torn and earth on his head. 33 David said to him, "If you pass on with me, then you will be a burden to me; 34 but if you return to the city, and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king. As I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant; then will you defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.’ 35 Don’t you have Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you? Therefore whatever you hear out of the king’s house, 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. Send to me everything that you shall hear by them."

37 So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

1 And it came to pass after this that Absalom prepared himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.

2 And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate; and when anyone that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto them and said, Of what city [art] thou? And he said, Thy servant [is] of one of the tribes of Israel.

3 And Absalom would say unto them, See, thy matters [are] good and just; but [there is] no one [delegated] by the king to hear thee.

4 And Absalom would say, Oh, that I were made judge in the land, that everyone who has any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!

5 And it was so, that when anyone came near [unto him] to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him.

6 And Absalom did according to this manner with all Israel that came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of those of Israel.

7 And at the end of [a predetermined period of] forty years, it came to pass that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go to Hebron and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD.

8 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.

9 And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose and went to Hebron.

10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the shofar, then ye shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron.

11 And two hundred men of Jerusalem went with Absalom, [that were] invited [by him], and they went in their integrity, without knowing anything.

12 Absalom also sent for Ahithophel, the Gilonite, of David's counsel, from his city, [even] from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

13 And the word came to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

14 Then David said unto all his servants that [were] with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee, for we shall not [otherwise] escape from Absalom; make speed to depart lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

15 And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants [are ready to 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, [who were] concubines, to keep the house.

17 And the king went forth and all the people after him and stopped in a place that was far off.

18 And all his servants passed to his side, and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come on foot [with him] from Gath, went before the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai, the Gittite, Why dost thou also go also with us? Return to thy place and abide with the king; for thou [art] a stranger and also an exile.

20 Whereas thou didst come [but] yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? Seeing I go where I go, return thou and take back thy brethren; mercy and truth [are] in thee.

21 And Ittai answered the king and said, As the LORD lives and [as] my lord the king lives, for life or for death, wherever my lord the king shall be, there also will thy servant be.

22 Then David said to Ittai, Go, therefore, and pass. And Ittai, the Gittite, passed and all his men and all the little ones that [were] with him.

23 And all those of the land wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed the brook Kidron; and then the king also passed, and all the people passed unto the way of the wilderness.

24 And behold Zadok also and with him all the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God. And Abiathar went up after all the people had finished leaving the city.

25 But the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city; if I shall find grace in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again and show me [both] it and his tabernacle.

26 But if he should say, I have no delight in thee; behold, [here] I [am], let him do to me as seems good unto him.

27 The king said also unto Zadok, the priest, [Art not] thou a 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 tarry in the plain of the wilderness until you send word to me.

29 Then Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

30 And David went up by the ascent of [Mount] Olivet and wept as he went up and had his head covered, and he went barefoot. And all the people that [were] with him covered each one his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

31 And it was told David, saying, Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom. Then David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into folly.

32 And it came to pass that [when] David came to the top [of the mount] to worship God there, behold, Hushai, the Archite came to meet him, with his coat rent and earth upon his head,

33 Unto whom David said, If thou pass on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me;

34 but if thou return to the city and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king [as] I [have been] thy father's servant until now, so [will] I now also [be] thy servant; then thou may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me.

35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, there with thee? Therefore, it shall be [that] whatever 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 you shall send unto me everything that you hear.

37 So Hushai, David's special companion came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.: