1 After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.2 And Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. And so it was, whenever anyone who had a dispute came to the king for judgment, that Absalom would call to him and say, What city are you from? And he would say, Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.3 Then Absalom would say to him, Behold, your case is good and right; but there is no one from the king to hear you.4 Moreover Absalom would say, Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has a dispute or case could come to me, and I would give him justice.5 And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he put out his hand and took him and kissed him.6 In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. Thus Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.7 And it came to pass after forty years that Absalom said to the king, Please, let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I have vowed unto Jehovah.8 For your servant has vowed a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, If Jehovah brings me back to Jerusalem, then I shall serve Jehovah.9 And 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 shofar, then you shall say, Absalom is king in Hebron!11 And with Absalom went two hundred men invited from Jerusalem, and they went along innocently and did not know anything.12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased.13 And a messenger came to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.14 And David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; or we shall not escape before Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.15 And the king’s servants said to the king, We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.16 And the king went out with all his household at his feet. But the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.17 And the king went out with all the people at his feet, and stopped at the last house of the settlement.18 And all his servants passed before him; and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, were passing on before the king.19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why are you also going with us? Return to your place and remain with the king. For you are a foreigner and also an exile.20 You came only recently. Should I make you go here and there with us this day, since I am going wherever I can? Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.21 And Ittai answered the king and said, As Jehovah lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.22 And David said to Ittai, Go, and cross over. Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over.23 And all the land was weeping with a loud voice, and all the people were crossing over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness.24 And behold Zadok also, and all the Levites were 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 finished crossing over out of the city.25 And the king said to Zadok, Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Jehovah, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place.26 But if He says thus: I have not delighted in you, then behold, here am I, let Him do to me as is good in His eyes.27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.28 See, I will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to report to me.29 Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem. And they remained there.30 And David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up; and he had his head covered and was going barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.31 And someone reported to David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Jehovah, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!32 And it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he bowed down before God, that behold Hushai the Archite was coming to meet him with his tunic torn and earth on his head.33 And David said to him, If you go on with me, then you will become a burden to me.34 But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s servant previously, so I will now also be your servant, then you may frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel for me.35 And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? Therefore it will be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report 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 their hands you shall send to me everything you hear.37 So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city. And Absalom came into Jerusalem.

1 Therfor aftir these thingis Absolon made a chaar to hym, and knyytis, and fifti men, that schulden go bifor hym.2 And Absolon roos eerli, and stood bisidis the entryng of the yate in the weie; and Absolon clepide to hym ech man, that hadde a cause that he schulde come to the doom of the kyng, and Absolon seide, Of what citee art thou? Which answeride, and seide, Of o lynage of Israel Y am, thi seruaunt.3 And Absolon answeride to hym, Thi wordis semen to me good and iust, but noon is ordeyned of the kyng to here thee. And Absolon seide, Who schal ordeyne me iuge on the lond,4 that alle men that han cause come to me, and Y deme iustly?5 But whanne a man cam to Absolon to greete hym, he helde forth the hond, and took, and kisside that man;6 and Absolon dide this to al Israel, that cam to doom to be herd of the kyng; and Absolon drow awei the hertis of men of Israel.7 Forsothe aftir foure yeer Absolon seide to kyng Dauid, Y schal go, and Y schal yelde my vowis, whiche Y vowide to the Lord in Ebron;8 for thi seruaunt vowynge vowide, whanne he was in Gessur of Sirie, and seide, If the Lord bryngith ayen me in to Jerusalem, Y schal make sacrifice to the Lord.9 And the kyng seide to hym, Go thou in pees. And Absolon roos, and yede in to Ebron.10 Forsothe Absolon sente aspieris in to al the lynage of Israel, and seide, Anoon as ye heren the sown of clarioun, seye ye, Absolon schal regne in Ebron.11 Forsothe twei hundrid men clepid of Jerusalem yeden with Absolon, and yede with symple herte, and outirli thei knewen not the cause.12 Also Absolon clepide Achitofel of Gilo, the councelour of Dauid, fro his citee Gilo. And whanne he offride sacrifices a strong swerynge togidere was maad, and the puple rennynge togidere was encreessid with Absolon.13 Therfor a messanger cam to Dauid, and seide, With al herte al Israel sueth Absolon.14 And Dauid seide to hise seruauntis that weren with hym in Jerusalem, Rise ye, and flee we; for noon ascaping schal be to us fro the face of Absolon; therfor haste ye to go out, lest he come, and ocupie vs, and fille on vs fallynge, and smyte the citee bi the scharpnesse of swerd.15 And the seruauntis of the kyng seiden to hym, We thi seruauntis schulen performe gladli alle thingis, what euer thingis oure lord the kyng schal comaunde.16 Therfor the kyng yede out, and al his hous, on her feet; and the king lefte ten wymmen concubyns, `that is, secundarie wyues, to kepe the hous.17 And the king yede out, and al Israel, on her feet, and the kyng stood fer fro the hous.18 And alle hise seruauntis yeden bisidis him, and the legiouns of Cerethi and of Ferethi, and alle men of Geth `strong fiyters, sixe hundrid men, that sueden him fro Geth, yeden on foote bifor the kyng.19 Forsothe the kyng seide to Ethai of Geth, Whi comest thou with vs? Turne thou ayen, and dwelle with the kyng, for thou art a pilgrym, and thou yedist out fro thi place.20 Thou camest yistirdai, and to dai thou art compellid to go out with vs. Sotheli Y schal go, whidur Y schal go; turne ayen, and lede ayen thi britheren with thee, and the Lord do mercy and treuthe with thee, for thou schewidist grace and feith.21 And Ethai answeride to the kyng, and seide, The Lord lyueth, and my lord the kyng lyueth, for in what euer place thou schalt be, my lord the kyng, ether in deeth ethir in lijf, there thi seruaunt schal be.22 And Dauid seide to Ethay, Come thou, and passe. And Ethai of Geth passide, and the kyng, and alle men that weren with hym, and the tother multitude.23 And alle men wepten with greet vois, and al the puple passide; and the kyng yede ouer the strond of Cedron, and al the puple yede ayens the weie of the olyue tree, that biholdith to deseert.24 Forsothe and Sadoch the preest cam, and alle the dekenes with hym, and thei baren the arke of boond of pees of God, and thei diden doun the arke of God; and Abiathar stiede, til al the puple was passid that yede out of the citee.25 And the kyng seide to Sadoch, Bere ayen the arke of God in to the citee; if Y schal fynde grace in the iyen of the Lord, he schal lede me ayen, and he schal schewe to me that arke and his tabernacle.26 Sotheli if the Lord seith, Thou plesist not me; Y am redi, do he that, that is good bifor hym silf.27 And the kyng seide to Sadoch, preest, A! thou seere, `that is, profete, turne ayen in to the citee, with pees; and Achymaas, thi sone, and Jonathas, the sone of Abiathar, youre twei sones, be with you.28 Lo! Y schal be hid in the feeldi places of deseert, til word come fro you, and schewe to me.29 Therfor Sadoch and Abiathar baren ayen the arke of God in to Jerusalem, and dwelliden there.30 Forsothe Dauid stiede on the hil of olyue trees, stiynge and wepynge, with the heed hilyd, and `goynge with nakid feet; but also al the puple that was with hym, stiede with the heed hilid, and wepte.31 Forsothe it was teld to Dauid, that Achitofel was in the sweryng togidere with Absolon; and Dauid seide, Lord, Y byseche, make thou fonned the counsel of Achitofel.32 And whanne Dauid stiede in to the hiyenesse of the hil, in which he schulde worschipe the Lord, lo! Cusi of Arath, with the cloth to-rent, and with the heed ful of erthe, cam to hym.33 And Dauid seide to hym, If thou comest with me, thou schalt be to me to charge; sotheli if thou turnest ayen in to the citee,34 and seist to Absolon, Y am thi seruaunt, kyng, suffre thou me to lyue; as Y was the seruaunt of thi fadir, so Y schal be thi seruaunt; thou schalt distrye the counsel of Achitofel.35 Forsothe thou hast with thee Sadoch and Abiathar, preestis; and `thou schalt schewe ech word, what euer word thou schalt here in the hows of the kyng, to Sadoch and Abiathar, preestis.36 Sotheli twei sones `of hem ben with hem, Achymaas, sone of Sadoch, and Jonathan, sone of Abiathar; and ye schulen sende bi hem to me ech word which ye schulen here.37 Therfor whanne Chusi, freend of Dauid, cam in to the citee, also Absolon entryde in to Jerusalem.