2 Samuel 15:1–10

Absalom Usurps the Throne

¹⁵After this Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.^{* 2}Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road into the gate, and when anyone brought a suit before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out and say, “From what city are you?” When the person said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,”^{* 3}Absalom would say, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no one deputed by the king to hear you.” ⁴Absalom would also say, “If only I were judge in the land! Then all who had a suit or cause might come to me, and I would give them justice.”^{* 5}Whenever people came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of them and kiss them. ⁶Thus Absalom did to every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.^*

⁷At the end of fourⁱ years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron and pay the vow that I have made to the Lord.^{* 8}For your servant made a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram: If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord in Hebron.”^{j* 9}The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up and went to Hebron. ¹⁰But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: Absalom has become king at Hebron!”