1Now it happened after this that Absalom acquired for himself a chariot and horses, with fifty men running before him.
2And Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way of the gate, and whenever any man who had a dispute came to the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him and say, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
3Then Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no one appointed by the king to hear you.”
4And Absalom would say, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who had a dispute or a case could come to me, and I would give him justice.”
5And whenever a man drew near to bow down to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.
6So Absalom did this to all Israel who came to the king for judgment, and Absalom stole the heart of the men of Israel.
7And it happened at the end of forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Let me go, please, and pay my vow that I vowed to Yahweh in Hebron.
8For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If Yahweh will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve Yahweh.’”
9And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.
10Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron!’”
11And with Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who had been invited; they went in their innocence and knew nothing at all.
12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.
13And the messenger came to David, saying, “The heart of the men of Israel is after Absalom.”
14And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, for there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Hurry to go, lest he hurry and overtake us and bring down disaster upon us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
15And the king’s servants said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king chooses—behold, we are your servants.”
16So the king went out, and all his household after him, but the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.
17And the king went out, and all the people after him, and they halted at the last house.
18And all his servants were passing on beside him, along with all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites; and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come at his heel from Gath, were passing on before the king.
19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Return and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place.
20You came only yesterday—shall I today make you wander with us in going, while I go wherever I go? Return, and take your brothers back with you, in loyal love and faithfulness.
21But Ittai answered the king and said, “As Yahweh lives and as my lord the king lives, in whatever place my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.”
22And David said to Ittai, “Go, cross over.” So Ittai the Gittite crossed over, and all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
23And all the land was weeping with a great voice as all the people crossed over, and the king was crossing the Wadi Kidron, and all the people were crossing toward the way of the wilderness.
24And behold, Zadok also was there, and all the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished passing out of the city.
25And the king said to Zadok, “Bring back the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yahweh, then he will bring me back and let me see it and its dwelling place.
26But if he says thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ here I am—let him do to me as is good in his eyes.”
27And the king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons, with you.
28See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
29So Zadok and Abiathar brought back the ark of God to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30And David went up the ascent of the Olives, weeping as he went up, with his head covered and walking barefoot; and all the people who were with him each covered his head, and they went up, going up and weeping.
31Now David was told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David said, “O Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
32When David reached the summit, where one bows down to God, there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him, his tunic torn and earth on his head.
33David said to him, “If you cross over with me, you will be a burden to me.
34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you can frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.
35Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you? Whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36There with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz for Zadok and Jonathan for Abiathar; through them you shall send to me everything you hear.”
37So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
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