‏ 2 Samuel 15

Absalom’s Conspiracy

1After this Absalom ^agot himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside ^bthe way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” 4Then Absalom would say, ^c“Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7And at the end of four ▼

▼Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew forty

years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron. 8For your servant ^evowed a vow ^fwhile I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to ▼

▼Or  will serve

the Lord^.’” 9The king said to him, ^h“Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’” 11With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem ⁱwho were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. 12And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for ▼

▼Or sent

^kAhithophel the Gilonite, ^lDavid’s counselor, from his city ^mGiloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom ⁿkept increasing.

David Flees Jerusalem

13And a messenger came to David, saying, ^o“The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us ^pflee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” 16So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ^qten concubines to keep the house. 17And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.

18And ^rall his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from ^sGath, passed on before the king. 19Then the king said to ^tIttai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go ^uI know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show ▼

▼Septuagint; Hebrew lacks  may the Lord show

steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” 21But Ittai answered the king, ^w“As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, ^xwherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” 22And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed ^ythe brook ^zKidron, and all the people passed on toward ^aathe wilderness.

24And ^abAbiathar came up, and behold, ^acZadok came also with all the Levites, ^adbearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will ^aebring me back and let me see both it and his ^afdwelling place. 26But if he says, ‘I have no ^agpleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, ^ahlet him do to me what seems good to him.” 27The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a ^aiseer? Go back ▼

▼Septuagint  The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Look, go back

to the city in peace, with ^akyour two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28See, I will wait at ^althe fords of ^amthe wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

30But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, ^anbarefoot and ^aowith his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, ^apweeping as they went. 31And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please ^aqturn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

32While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai ^arthe Archite came to meet him ^aswith his coat torn and ^atdirt on his head. 33David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be ^aua burden to me. 34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ^av‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, ^awtell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36Behold, ^axtheir two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, ^ayand by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” 37So Hushai, ^azDavid’s friend, came into the city, ^bajust as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.