2 Samuel 15:1–17:29
15 It happened afterward that Absalom made himself a chariot with horses and fifty men running before him. 2 Absalom used to rise early in the morning, and he stood ⌊beside⌋a the road at the gate; ⌊anyone⌋b who had a legal dispute to bring to the king for judgment Absalom would call to him and say, “⌊Where are you from?⌋”c And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your case is good and right, but for you there is no hearing with the king.” 4 Then Absalom would say, “⌊Oh, that someone would⌋d appoint me as judge in the land, that ⌊anyone⌋e might come to me who had a legal dispute or a case, and I would give him justice.” 5 It happened whenever anyone drew near to do obeisance to him, that he would stretch his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom did like this to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the heartsf of the people of Israel.
7 It happened at the end of fourg years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to Yahweh in Hebron, 8 for your servant made a vow while I was staying in Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘⌊If Yahweh will indeed let me return⌋h to Jerusalem, then I will worship Yahweh.’ ” 9 Then the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up and went to Hebron. 10 Then Absalom sent scouts throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the trumpet, you shall shout ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron!’ ” 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom as invited guests, going in their innocence as they did not know anything. 12 Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, the advisor of David, from his city Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. The conspiracy ⌊grew in strength⌋,i and the people were going and ⌊increasing⌋j with Absalom.
13 Then the messenger came to David, saying, “The heartsk of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Get up and let us flee, for there will be no escape for us from Absalom! Hurry to go, otherwise he will come quickly and overtake us! And he will bring disaster on us and evil! He will attack the city with the edge of the sword!” 15 Then the servants of the king said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king chooses, ⌊your servants are ready to act⌋!”l 16 The king went out withm all his household ⌊following him⌋,n but the king left behind ten concubines to look after the house. 17 So the king went out witho all the people ⌊following him⌋,p and they stopped ⌊at the last house⌋.q 18 All his servants were passing ⌊by him⌋:r all of the Kerethites and all of the Pelethites and all of the Gittites—six hundred men ⌊who had followed him⌋s from Gath—passing ⌊before the king⌋.t 19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also coming with us? Return and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner; moreover, you are an exile. ⌊You are far from your place⌋.u 20 Yesterday when you came and ⌊today⌋,v I have caused you to wander by going with us. Now I am going to where I am going; return and let your brothers return. May loyal love and faithfulness be with you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “⌊As Yahweh lives⌋w and ⌊my lord the king lives⌋,x surely in the place wherever my lord the king shall be, if for death or if for life, surely there your servant will be.” 22 Then David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all of the little children who were with him. 23 All of the land was weeping with a loud voice as all the people were passing by and the king was crossing through the Wadi Kidron, and all the people were passing ⌊on the road to the wilderness⌋.y
The Priests Offer Sacrifices for David
24 Suddenly Zadok was there, and all of the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people passed out of the city. 25 The king said to Zadok, “Let the ark of God return to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yahweh, he will let me return and let me see him in his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,’ then ⌊I am ready⌋.z Let him do to me that which is good in his eyes. 27 Then the king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace, with Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you. 28 See, I am waiting at the fords of the wilderness until a word comes from you all to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and they remained there.
Hushai Offers to Serve King David
30 Now David was going up on the Ascent of the Olives, ⌊weeping as he went⌋,a with his head covered and going barefoot. All the people who were with him each covered their head ⌊and wept as they went⌋.b 31 Now David was told, “Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom.” Then David said, “Please frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.” 32 It happened that as David was coming up to the summit where he used to worship God, suddenly Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him. His coat was torn and dirt was on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you move on with me, you will be a burden to me, 34 but if you want to return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king. I used to be a servant of your father, but from then and now I will be your servant,’ then you can frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel for me. 35 Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you there? It shall be that all the words you hear from the house of the king you shall tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Look, there with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz of Zadok and Jonathan of Abiathar. You shall send to me ⌊by means of them⌋c all the words that you hear.” 37 So Hushai the friend of David came to the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
16 Now David passed a little from beyond the summit, and suddenly Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him with a pair of saddled donkeys; on them were two hundred loaves of bread and a hundred raisin cakes, with a hundred summer fruits and a skin of wine. 2 The king said to Ziba, “⌊What do you want to accomplish by bringing these⌋?”a And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; the bread and the summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for the faint in the wilderness to drink. 3 Then the king said, “Where is the son of your lord?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is living in Jerusalem for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel shall return the kingdom of my father to me.’ ” 4 The king said to Ziba, “Look, all that was Mephibosheth’s is yours.” Ziba said, “I hereby do obeisance; may I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”
5 King David came up to Bahurim and suddenly a man from there was coming out from the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Shimei the son of Gera. ⌊He was cursing as he came out⌋.b 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David and at all the people and at all the mighty warriors on his right and on his left. 7 Shimei said while cursing him, “Go out, go out, you ⌊man of bloodshed⌋,c you ⌊man of wickedness⌋.d 8 Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the household of Saul ⌊whom you have supplanted as king⌋,e and Yahweh has given the kingship into the hand of Absalom your son. Look, you are in disaster for you are a man of blood.” 9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.” 10 The king said, “⌊What do we have in common⌋,f sons of Zeruiah? Ifg he curses because Yahweh has said to him ‘Curse David,’ who can say, “Why have you done this?” 11 David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Look, my son who came out of my loinsh is seeking my life. Now ⌊as far as⌋i this Benjaminite, leave him alone and let him curse, for Yahweh has spoken to him. 12 Perhaps Yahweh will look ⌊in my eye⌋j and repay good for me in place of his curse this day. 13 Then David and his men went on the road, with Shimei going on the side of the hill beside him, ⌊cursing as he went⌋.k He threw stones beside him and threwl dust in the air. 14 When the king and all of the people who were with him arrived, he was weary, so he recovered there.
15 Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When Hushai the Arkite the friend of David came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king, long live the king!” 17 Absalom said to Hushai, “This is your loyal love with your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” 18 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No, rather, whom Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, to himm I will be, and with him I will remain. 19 ⌊Furthermore⌋,n for whom have I served? Is it not in the presence of his son that I have served before your father? ⌊So shall I serve you⌋!”o 20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” 21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go to the concubines of your father whom he left behind to watch over the house, then all of Israel will hear that you made yourself odious to your father, and ⌊all of your followers will be motivated⌋!”p 22 Then they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he went in to the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel. 23 The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days was regarded as when a manq inquired of the word of God, so all the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.
Hushai Frustrates the Counsel of Ahithophel
17 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue after David ⌊tonight⌋.a 2 I will come …