¹Soon after this, Absalom acquired a chariot, horses, and 50 men to run ahead of him. ²Absalom used to get up early and stand by the road leading to the city gate. When anyone had a case to be tried by King David, Absalom would ask, “Which city are you from?”

After the person had told him which tribe in Israel he was from, ³Absalom would say, “Your case is good and proper, but the king hasn’t appointed anyone to hear it.” ⁴He would add, “I wish someone would make me judge in the land. Then anyone who had a case to be tried could come to me, and I would make sure that he got justice.” ⁵When anyone approached him and bowed down, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. ⁶This is what he did for all Israelites who came to the king to have him try their case. So Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

⁷Four years later Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and keep the vow I made to the Lord. ⁸I made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord will bring me back to Jerusalem, I will serve the Lord.’ ”

⁹“Go in peace,” the king told him.

So he went to Hebron. ¹⁰But Absalom sent his loyal supporters to all the tribes of Israel and said, “When you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’ ”

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