2 Samuel, 15

1. After this, Absalom procured a chariot and horses, with fifty men to run ahead of him.

1. After this Ab'salom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2. He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate; and whenever a man with some lawsuit had to come before the king's tribunal, Absalom would call out to him and ask, 'Which town are you from?' If he answered, 'Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.'

2. And Ab'salom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate; and when any man had a suit to come before the king for judgment, Ab'salom 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,"

3. then Absalom would say, 'Look, your case is sound and just, but not one of the king's deputies will listen to you.'

3. Ab'salom would say to him, "See, your claims are good and right; but there is no man deputed by the king to hear you."

4. Absalom would say, 'Oh, who will appoint me judge in the land? Then anyone with a lawsuit or a plea could come to me and I should see he had justice!'

4. Ab'salom said moreover, "Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a suit or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice."

5. And whenever anyone came up to him to prostrate himself, he would stretch out his hand, draw him to him and kiss him.

5. And whenever a man came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand, and take hold of him, and kiss him.

6. Absalom acted like this with every Israelite who appealed to the king's tribunal, and so Absalom won the Israelites' hearts.

6. Thus Ab'salom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Ab'salom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7. When four years had gone by, Absalom said to the king, 'Allow me to go to Hebron and fulfil the vow which I have made to Yahweh;

7. And at the end of four years Ab'salom said to the king, "Pray let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron.

8. for, when I was in Geshur, in Aram, your servant made this vow, "If Yahweh brings me back to Jerusalem, I shall pay my devotions to Yahweh in Hebron." '

8. For your servant vowed a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Aram, saying, `If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the LORD.'"

9. The king said to him, 'Go in peace.' So he set off and went to Hebron.

9. The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose, and went to Hebron.

10. Absalom sent couriers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, 'When you hear the trumpet sound, you are to say, "Absalom is king at Hebron!" '

10. But Ab'salom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, `Ab'salom is king at Hebron!'"

11. With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem; they had been invited and had gone in all innocence, unaware of what was going on.

11. With Ab'salom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their simplicity, and knew nothing.

12. Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from Giloh his town, and had him with him while offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy grew in strength, since Absalom's supporters grew in number.

12. And while Ab'salom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahith'ophel the Gi'lonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Ab'salom kept increasing.

13. A messenger came and told David, 'The men of Israel have shifted their allegiance to Absalom.'

13. And a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Ab'salom."

14. David said to all his retinue then with him in Jerusalem, 'Up, let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom! Leave as quickly as you can, in case he mounts a sudden attack, overcomes us and puts the city to the sword.'

14. Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee; or else there will be no escape for us from Ab'salom; go in haste, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword."

15. The king's retinue replied, 'Whatever my lord the king decides, we are at your service.'

15. And the king's servants said to the king, "Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides."

16. The king set out on foot with his whole household, leaving ten concubines to look after the palace.

16. So the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house.

17. The king set out on foot with everyone following, and they halted at the last house.

17. And the king went forth, and all the people after him; and they halted at the last house.

18. All his officers stood at his side. All the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, with Ittai and all the six hundred Gittites who had come in his retinue from Gath, marched past the king.

18. And all his servants passed by him; and all the Cher'ethites, and all the Pel'ethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.

19. The king said to Ittai the Gittite, 'You, why are you coming with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner, indeed an exile from your homeland.

19. Then the king said to It'tai 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.

20. You arrived only yesterday; should I take you wandering with us today, when I do not know myself where I am going? Go back, take your fellow countrymen with you, and may Yahweh show you mercy and faithful love!'

20. You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, seeing I go I know not where? Go back, and take your brethren with you; and may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you."

21. Ittai replied to the king, 'As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, for death or life, your servant will be there too.'

21. But It'tai answered the king, "As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be."

22. David then said to Ittai, 'Go ahead, march past!' And Ittai of Gath marched past with all his men and with all his children too.

22. And David said to It'tai, "Go then, pass on." So It'tai the Gittite passed on, with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

23. The entire population was weeping aloud as the king stood in the bed of the Kidron and everyone marched past him, making for the desert.

23. And all the country wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.

24. Zadok was there too, and all the Levites with him, carrying the ark of God. They set the ark of God down beside Abiathar until everyone had finished marching out of the town.

24. And Abi'athar came up, and lo, Zadok came also, with all the Levites, bearing 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.

25. The king then said to Zadok, 'Take the ark of God back into the city. Should I win Yahweh's favour, he will bring me back and allow me to see it and its tent once more.

25. Then 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 bring me back and let me see both it and his habitation;

26. But should he say, "You displease me," here I am: let him treat me as he sees fit.'

26. but if he says, `I have no pleasure in you,' behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him."

27. The king said to Zadok the priest, 'Look, you and Abiathar go back quietly into the city, with your two sons, your own son Ahimaaz and Jonathan son of Abiathar.

27. The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Look, go back to the city in peace, you and Abi'athar, with your two sons, Ahim'a-az your son, and Jonathan the son of Abi'athar.

28. You see, I shall wait in the passes of the desert plain until word comes from you bringing me news.'

28. See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness, until word comes from you to inform me."

29. So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

29. So Zadok and Abi'athar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem; and they remained there.

30. David then made his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, his head covered and his feet bare. And all the people with him had their heads covered and made their way up, weeping as they went.

30. But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered; and all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went.

31. David was then informed that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, 'I beg you, Yahweh, turn Ahithophel's advice to folly.'

31. And it was told David, "Ahith'ophel is among the conspirators with Ab'salom." And David said, "O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahith'ophel into foolishness."

32. As David reached the summit, where God is worshipped, he saw Hushai the Archite, his friend, coming to meet him with his tunic torn and with earth on his head.

32. When David came to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head.

33. David said, 'If you go along with me, you will be a burden to me.

33. David said to him, "If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.

34. But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, "I am at your service, my lord king; once I was in your father's service, but now I shall serve you," you will be able to thwart Ahithophel's advice for me.

34. But if you return to the city, and say to Ab'salom, `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 Ahith'ophel.

35. Surely the priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you? Anything you hear from the palace you must report to the priests Zadok and Abiathar.

35. Are not Zadok and Abi'athar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, tell it to Zadok and Abi'athar the priests.

36. You see, their two sons are there with them, Zadok's son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar's son Jonathan; through these, you will send me word of everything you hear.'

36. Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahim'a-az, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abi'athar's son; and by them you shall send to me everything you hear."

37. Hushai, David's friend, entered the city just as Absalom was reaching Jerusalem.

37. So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, just as Ab'salom was entering Jerusalem.