2 Samuel 15:1–10

Absalom Plans Rebellion

15After this, Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself, and an escort of 50 men. ²He would get up early and go and stand by the road at the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. And after the man had told him what tribe he was from, ³Absalom would say, “Look, the law is on your side, but there is no representative of the king to hear your case.” ⁴And he would add, “How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me, and I would give him justice.” ⁵When the man approached Absalom to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. ⁶Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for justice, and so he won their loyalty.

⁷After four^l years Absalom said to King David, “Sir, let me go to Hebron and keep a promise I made to the Lord. ⁸While I was living in Geshur in Syria, I promised the Lord that if he would take me back to Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron.”^m

⁹“Go in peace,” the king said. So Absalom went to Hebron. ¹⁰But he sent messengers to all the tribes of Israel to say, “When you hear the sound of trumpets, shout, ‘Absalom has become king at Hebron!’ ”