2 Samuel 15:13–17:22

¹³A messenger came to David, saying, “The Israelites are giving their loyalty to Absalom.”

¹⁴Then David said to all his officers who were with him in Jerusalem, “We must leave quickly! If we don’t, we won’t be able to get away from Absalom. We must hurry before he catches us and destroys us and kills the people of Jerusalem.”

¹⁵The king’s officers said to him, “We will do anything you say.”

¹⁶The king set out with everyone in his house, but he left ten slave women to take care of the palace. ¹⁷The king left with all his people following him, and they stopped at a house far away. ¹⁸All the king’s servants passed by him—the Kerethites and Pelethites, ⁿ all those from Gath, and the six hundred men who had followed him.

¹⁹The king said to Ittai, a man from Gath, “Why are you also going with us? Turn back and stay with King Absalom because you are a foreigner. This is not your homeland. ²⁰You joined me only a short time ago. Should I make you wander with us when I don’t even know where I’m going? Turn back and take your brothers with you. May kindness and loyalty be shown to you.”

²¹But Ittai said to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will stay with you, whether it means life or death.”

²²David said to Ittai, “Go, march on.” So Ittai from Gath and all his people with their children marched on. ²³All the people cried loudly as everyone passed by. King David crossed the Kidron Valley, and then all the people went on to the desert. ²⁴Zadok and all the Levites with him carried the Ark of the Agreement with God. They set it down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had left the city.

²⁵The king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back into the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, he will bring me back and will let me see both it and Jerusalem again. ²⁶But if the Lord says he is not pleased with me, I am ready. He can do what he wants with me.”

²⁷The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Aren’t you a seer? Go back to the city in peace and take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you. ²⁸I will wait near the crossings into the desert until I hear from you.” ²⁹So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

³⁰David went up the Mount of Olives, crying as he went. He covered his head and went barefoot. All the people with David covered their heads also and cried as they went. ³¹Someone told David, “Ahithophel is one of the people with Absalom who made secret plans against you.”

So David prayed, “Lord, please make Ahithophel’s advice foolish.”

³²When David reached the top of the mountain where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite came to meet him. Hushai’s coat was torn, and there was dirt on his head to show how sad he was. ³³David said to Hushai, “If you go with me, you will be just one more person for me to take care of. ³⁴But if you return to the city, you can make Ahithophel’s advice useless. Tell Absalom, ‘I am your servant, my king. In the past I served your father, but now I will serve you.’ ³⁵The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you. Tell them everything you hear in the royal palace. ³⁶Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan are with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear.” ³⁷So David’s friend Hushai entered Jerusalem just as Absalom arrived.

Ziba Meets David

16When David had passed a short way over the top of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met him. Ziba had a row of donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred cakes of raisins, one hundred cakes of figs, and leather bags full of wine. ²The king asked Ziba, “What are these things for?”

Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for your family to ride. The bread and cakes of figs are for the servants to eat. And the wine is for anyone to drink who might become weak in the desert.”

³The king asked, “Where is Mephibosheth?”

Ziba answered him, “Mephibosheth is staying in Jerusalem because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will give my father’s kingdom back to me!’ ”

⁴Then the king said to Ziba, “All right. Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth, I now give to you!”

Ziba said, “I bow to you. I hope I will always be able to please you.”

Shimei Curses David

⁵As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out and cursed him. He was from Saul’s family group, and his name was Shimei son of Gera. ⁶He threw stones at David and his officers, but the people and soldiers gathered all around David. ⁷Shimei cursed David, saying, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you troublemaker. ⁸The Lord is punishing you for the people in Saul’s family you killed! You took Saul’s place as king, but now the Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom! Now you are ruined because you are a murderer!”

⁹Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”

¹⁰But the king answered, “This does not concern you, sons of Zeruiah! If he is cursing me because the Lord told him to, who can question him?”

¹¹David also said to Abishai and all his officers, “My own son is trying to kill me! This man is a Benjaminite and has more right to kill me! Leave him alone, and let him curse me because the Lord told him to do this. ¹²Maybe the Lord will see my misery and repay me with something good for Shimei’s curses today!”

¹³So David and his men went on down the road, but Shimei followed on the nearby hillside. He kept cursing David and throwing stones and dirt at him. ¹⁴When the king and all his people arrived at the Jordan, they were very tired, so they rested there.

¹⁵Meanwhile, Absalom, Ahithophel, and all the Israelites arrived at Jerusalem. ¹⁶David’s friend Hushai the Arkite came to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷Absalom asked, “Why are you not loyal to your friend David? Why didn’t you leave Jerusalem with your friend?”

¹⁸Hushai said, “I belong to the one chosen by the Lord and by these people and everyone in Israel. I will stay with you. ¹⁹In the past I served your father. So whom should I serve now? David’s son! I will serve you as I served him.”

Ahithophel’s Advice

²⁰Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Tell us what we should do.”

²¹Ahithophel said, “Your father left behind some of his slave women to take care of the palace. Have sexual relations with them. Then all Israel will hear that your father is your enemy, and all your people will be encouraged to give you more support.” ²²So they put up a tent for Absalom on the roof ⁿ of the palace where everyone in Israel could see it. And Absalom had sexual relations with his father’s slave women.

²³At that time people thought Ahithophel’s advice was as reliable as God’s own word. Both David and Absalom thought it was that reliable.

17Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and chase David tonight. ²I’ll catch him while he is tired and weak, and I’ll frighten him so all his people will run away. But I’ll kill only King David. ³Then I’ll bring everyone back to you. If the man you are looking for is dead, everyone else will return safely.” ⁴This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the leaders of Israel.

⁵But Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Arkite, so I can hear what he says.” ⁶When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “This is the plan Ahithophel gave. Should we follow it? If not, tell us.”

⁷Hushai said to Absalom, “Ahithophel’s advice is not good this time.” ⁸Hushai added, “You know your father and his men are strong. They are as angry as a bear that is robbed of its cubs. Your father is a skilled fighter. He won’t stay all night with the army. ⁹He is probably already hiding in a cave or some other place. If the first attack fails, people will hear the news and think, ‘Absalom’s followers are losing!’ ¹⁰Then even the men who are as brave as lions will be frightened, because all the Israelites know your father is a fighter. They know his men are brave!

¹¹“This is what I suggest: Gather all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba. ⁿ There will be as many people as grains of sand by the sea. Then you yourself must go into the battle. ¹²We will go to David wherever he is hiding. We will fall on him as dew falls on the ground. We will kill him and all of his men so that no one will be left alive. ¹³If David escapes into a city, all the Israelites will bring ropes to that city and pull it into the valley. Not a stone will be left!”

¹⁴Absalom and all the Israelites said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.” (The Lord had planned to destroy the good advice of Ahithophel so the Lord could bring disaster on Absalom.)

¹⁵Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the elders of Israel. He also reported to them what he himself had suggested. Hushai said, ¹⁶“Quickly! Send a message to David. Tell him not to stay tonight at the crossings into the desert but to cross over the Jordan River at once. If he crosses the river, he and all his people won’t be destroyed.”

¹⁷Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They did not want to be seen going into the city, so a servant girl would go out to them and give them messages. Then Jonathan and Ahimaaz would go and tell King David.

¹⁸But a boy saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz left quickly and went to a man’s house in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. ¹⁹The man’s wife spread a sheet over the opening of the well and covered it with grain. No one could tell that anyone was hiding there.

²⁰Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

She said to them, “They have already crossed the brook.”

Absalom’s servants then went to look for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but they could not find them. So they went back to Jerusalem.

²¹After Absalom’s servants left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well and went to tell King David. They said, “Hurry, cross over…