2 Samuel 15:13–17:22

¹³And there came a messenger to David, saying, ⁿThe hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. ¹⁴And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us ^oflee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and ^†bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. ¹⁵And the king’s servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall ^†appoint. ¹⁶And the king went forth, and all his household ^†after him. And the king left ^pten women, which were concubines, to keep the house. ¹⁷And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off. ¹⁸And all his servants passed on beside him; and all ^qthe Cherethites, and all ^rthe Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from ^sGath, passed on before the king. ¹⁹Then said the king to ^tIttai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also ^uan exile. ²⁰Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day ^†make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go ^vwhither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee. ²¹And Ittai answered the king, and said, ^wAs the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. ²²And David said to Ittai, Go and ^xpass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him. ²³And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the ^ybrook ^||Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the ^zwilderness. ²⁴And lo ^aZadok also, and all the Levites were with him, ^bbearing the ark of the covenant of God: and ^cthey set down the ark of God; and ^dAbiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city. ²⁵And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he ^ewill bring me again, and shew me both it, and ^fhis habitation: ²⁶But if he thus say, I have no ^gdelight in thee; behold, here am I, ^hlet him do to me as seemeth good unto him. ²⁷The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a ⁱseer? return into the city in peace, and ^jyour two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. ²⁸See, I will tarry ^kin the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me. ²⁹Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

³⁰And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, ^†and wept as he went up, and ^lhad his head covered, and he went ^mbarefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, ⁿweeping as they went up. ³¹And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, ^oturn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. ³²And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the ^pArchite came to meet him ^qwith his coat rent, and ^rearth upon his head: ³³Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be ^sa burden unto me: ³⁴But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, ^tI will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father’s servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me ^udefeat the counsel of Ahithophel. ³⁵And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king’s house, ^vthou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶Behold, they have there ^xwith them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok’s son, and Jonathan Abiathar’s son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear. ³⁷So ^yHushai David’s friend came into the city, ^zand Absalom came into Jerusalem.

16And ^awhen David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, ^bZiba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred ^cbunches of raisins, and an hundred ^dof summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. ²And the king said unto Ziba, ^eWhat meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be ^ffaint in the wilderness may drink. ³And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? ^gAnd Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. ⁴Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, ^†I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

⁵And when king David came to ^hBahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was ⁱShimei, the son of Gera: ^||he came forth, and cursed still as he came. ⁶And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. ⁷And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou ^†bloody man, and thou ^kman of Belial: ⁸The Lord ^lhath returned upon thee ^mall the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, ^†behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. ⁹Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this ⁿdead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. ¹⁰And the king said, ^oWhat have I to do with you, ^pye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? ¹¹And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which ^qcame forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. ^12rIt may be that the Lord ^swill look on mine ^||affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day. ¹³And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and ^†cast dust. ¹⁴And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

¹⁵And ^tAbsalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁶And it came to pass, when Hushai the ^uArchite, David’s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, ^†God save the king, God save the king. ¹⁷And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? ^wwhy wentest thou not with thy friend? ¹⁸And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. ¹⁹And again, ^xwhom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.

²⁰Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. ²¹And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s ^yconcubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou ^zart abhorred of thy father: then shall ^athe hands of all that are with thee be strong. ²²So they spread Absalom a tent upon ^bthe top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines ^cin the sight of all Israel. ²³And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the ^†oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel ^dboth with David and with Absalom.

17Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: ²And I will come upon him while he is ^aweary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only: ³And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace. ⁴And the saying ^†pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. ⁵Then said Absalom, Call now ^bHushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise ^†what he saith. ⁶And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his ^†saying? if not; speak thou. ⁷And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath ^†given is not good at this time. ⁸For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be ^†chafed in their minds, as ^ca bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. ⁹Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be ^†overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. ¹⁰And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly ^dmelt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. ¹¹Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, ^efrom Dan even to Beer-sheba, ^fas the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and ^†that thou go to battle in thine own person. ¹²So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one. ¹³Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to…