2 Samuel 15–18

15TH CHAPTER

David Overthrown

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.’ ” 

¹¹Two hundred men invited from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They went innocently, knowing nothing ⸤about Absalom’s plans⸥. ¹²While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, David’s adviser, to come from his home in Giloh. Meanwhile, the conspiracy grew stronger, and the number of people siding with Absalom kept getting larger. 

¹³Someone came to tell David, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.” 

David Flees Jerusalem

¹⁴David told all his men who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let’s flee immediately, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Let’s leave right away, or he’ll catch up to us and bring disaster on us when he massacres the city.” 

¹⁵The king’s servants told him, “No matter what happens, we are Your Majesty’s servants.” 

¹⁶The king left on foot, and his whole household followed him except ten concubines^awhom the king left behind to take care of the palace. ¹⁷As the king and his troops were leaving the city on foot, they stopped at the last house. ¹⁸All his mercenaries passed by him; all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, Ittai, and all 600 men who had followed him from Gath were marching past the king. 

¹⁹The king asked Ittai from Gath, “Why should you go with us? Go back, and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. ²⁰You came to us just yesterday. Should I make you wander around with me when I don’t even know where I’m going? Go back, and take your countrymen with you. ⸤May the Lord⸥ always show you kindness.” 

²¹But Ittai answered the king, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord and the king live: Wherever you are, whether you’re dead or alive, I’ll be there.” 

²²So David told Ittai, “Go ahead and keep marching.” So Ittai from Gath marched on with all his men and all the families who were with him. 

²³The whole country was crying loudly as all the troops were passing by. The king was crossing the Kidron Valley, and all the people were moving down the road toward the desert. ²⁴Zadok and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of God’s promise. They set down the ark of God beside Abiathar until all the troops had withdrawn from the city. 

²⁵The king told Zadok, “Take God’s ark back to the city. If the Lord looks favorably on me, he will allow me to come back and see both it and its^bdwelling place again. ²⁶But if he says, ‘I’m not pleased with you,’ let him do to me what he considers right.” 

²⁷“Aren’t you a seer?”^cthe king asked Zadok the priest. “Go back to the city peacefully, and take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you. ²⁸I’ll wait at the river crossings in the desert until I receive a message from you.” ²⁹So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there. 

³⁰David cried as he went up the Mount of Olives. He covered his head and walked barefoot. And all of the troops with him covered their heads and cried as they went. 

³¹Then David was told, “Ahithophel is among those conspiring with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, make Ahithophel’s advice foolish.” 

³²When David came to the top ⸤of the Mount of Olives⸥ where people worshiped God, Hushai from Archi’s family was there to meet him. His clothes were torn, and he had dirt on his head. ³³David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden to me. ³⁴But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I’ll be your servant. I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I’ll be your servant,’ then you’ll ⸤help me by⸥ undoing Ahithophel’s advice. ³⁵The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. When you hear anything from the royal palace, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. ³⁶They have two sons with them: Zadok has Ahimaaz, and Abiathar has Jonathan. Send them to report to me anything you hear.” 

³⁷So Hushai, David’s friend, went to the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem. 

16TH CHAPTER

¹When David had gone over the top ⸤of the Mount of Olives⸥, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met him with a pair of saddled donkeys. They were loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 pieces of ripened fruit, and a full wineskin. 

²“Why did you bring these?” David asked Ziba. 

“The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on,” Ziba answered. “The bread and the ripe fruit are for ⸤your⸥ servants to eat. The wine is for those who become tired and thirsty in the desert.” 

³“Where is your master Saul’s grandson?” the king asked. 

“He’s staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba answered the king. “He said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’ ” 

⁴The king told Ziba, “In that case everything that belonged to Mephibosheth now belongs to you.” 

“I sincerely thank you,” said Ziba. “I hope to remain in your good graces, Your Majesty.” 

⁵When King David came to Bahurim, a man who was a distant cousin of Saul came out cursing. His name was Shimei, son of Gera. ⁶He threw stones at David and David’s servants, although all the people and all the warriors were shielding David. ⁷Shimei cursed and said, “Get out! Get out, you bloodthirsty man! You worthless person! ⁸The Lord is paying you back for all the blood you spilled in the family of Saul, whom you succeeded as king. The Lord is giving the kingship to your son Absalom. Now you’re in trouble because you’re a bloodthirsty man.” 

⁹Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, asked the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, Your Majesty? Let me go over there and tear off his head.” 

¹⁰But the king said, “You don’t think like me at all, sons of Zeruiah. Let him curse. If the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ should anyone ask, ‘Why do you do that?’ ” ¹¹David told Abishai and all his servants, “My own son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. Why, then, shouldn’t this Benjaminite do this? Leave him alone. Let him curse, since the Lord has told him to do it. ¹²Maybe the Lord will see my misery and turn his curse into a blessing for me today.” 

¹³As David and his men went along the road, Shimei was walking along the hillside parallel to him. Shimei cursed, hurled stones, and threw dirt at David. ¹⁴The king and all the people with him finally arrived ⸤at their destination⸥ and rested there. 

Absalom Enters Jerusalem

¹⁵Meanwhile, Absalom and all Israel’s troops came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. ¹⁶When David’s friend Hushai from Archi’s family came to Absalom, he said, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” 

¹⁷“Is that how loyal you are to your friend?” Absalom asked Hushai. “Why didn’t you go with him?” 

¹⁸Hushai answered Absalom, “No, I want to be with the one whom the Lord, these people, and all Israel have chosen. I will be his ⸤friend⸥ and stay with him. ¹⁹And besides, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t it be his son? As I served your father, so I’ll serve you.” 

²⁰Then Absalom asked Ahithophel, “What’s your advice? What should we do?” 

²¹Ahithophel told Absalom, “Sleep with your father’s concubines^awhom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear about how you have made your father despise you. Everyone who is with you will support you even more.” 

²²So a tent was put up on the roof for Absalom, and he slept with his father’s concubines in plain sight of Israel. 

²³In those days both David and Absalom thought that Ahithophel’s advice was like getting an answer from God. 

17TH CHAPTER

Absalom Pursues David

¹Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose 12,000 men and leave tonight to go after David. ²I’ll attack him while he’s tired and weak, and I’ll cause him to panic. All the people with him will flee, but I’ll kill only him. ³I’ll return all the people to you as a bride is returned to her husband. Since you will be seeking the life of only one man,all the people will have peace.” ⁴Absalom and all the leaders of Israel approved this plan. 

⁵Absalom said, “Please call Hushai, who is descended from Archi’s family, and let us hear what he, too, has to say.” 

⁶When Hushai arrived, Absalom said to him, “Ahithophel has told us his plan. Should we do what he says? If not, tell us.” 

⁷“This time Ahithophel’s advice is no good,” Hushai said to Absalom. ⁸“You know your father and his men. They are warriors as fierce as a wild bear whose cubs have been stolen. Your father is an experienced soldier. He will not camp with the troops tonight. ⁹He has already hidden in one of the ravines or some other place. If some of our soldiers are killed in the initial attack, others will definitely hear about it and say, ‘The troops that support Absalom have been defeated.’ ¹⁰Even the bravest man with a heart like a lion would lose his courage, because all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and the men with him are brave. …