Absalom, by fair speeches and courtesies, stealeth the hearts of Israel.

1 ¶ And it came to pass² after²² this,¹² that Absalomº preparedºª him chariotsº and horses,º and fiftyº menº to runºª beforeº him. 2 And Absalomº rose up early,ºª and stoodºª besideº² the wayº of the gate:º and it was² [so], that when any² manº that² had² a controversyº cameºª to² the kingº for judgment,º then Absalomº calledºª unto² him, and said,ºª Of²² whatº cityº [art] thou?² And he said,ºª Thy servantº [is] of oneº² of the tribesº of Israel.º 3 And Absalomº saidºª unto² him, See,ºª thy mattersº [are] goodº and right;º but [there is] no² man [deputed] of the kingº to hearºª thee. 4 Absalomº saidºª moreover, Oh that² I were madeºª judgeºª in the land,º that every² manº which² hath² any suitº or causeº might comeºª unto² me, and I would do him justice!ºª 5 And it was² [so], that when any manº came nighºª [to him] to do him obeisance,ºª he put forthºª² his hand,º and tookºª him, and kissedºª him. 6 And on this² mannerº didºª Absalomº to all² Israelº that² cameºª to² the kingº for judgment:º so Absalomº stoleºª² the heartsº of the men¹² of Israel.º

Under pretence of a vow he obtaineth leave to go to Hebron.

7 ¶ And it came to pass² afterº² fortyº years,º that Absalomº saidºª unto² the king,º I pray thee,² let me go¹ª² and payºª² my vow,º which² I have vowedºª unto the LORD,º in Hebron.º 8 For² thy servantº vowedºª a vowº while I abodeºª at Geshurº in Syria,º saying,ºª If² the LORDº shall bring me againºªªª indeed to Jerusalem,º then I will serveºª² the LORD.º 9 And the kingº saidºª unto him, Go¹ª² in peace.º So he arose,ºª and went¹ª² to Hebron.º

He maketh there a great conspiracy.

10 ¶ But Absalomº sentºª spiesºª throughout all² the tribesº of Israel,º saying,ºª As soon as ye hearºª² the soundº of the trumpet,º then ye shall say,ºª Absalomº reignethºª in Hebron.º 11 And with² Absalomº wentºª two hundredº menº out of Jerusalem,º² [that were] called;ºª and they wentºª in their simplicity,º and they knewºª not² any² thing.º 12 And Absalomº sentºª for² Ahithophelº the Gilonite,º David'sº counsellor,ºª from his city,º [even] from Giloh,º² while he offeredºª² sacrifices.º And the conspiracyº was² strong;º for the peopleº increasedº continuallyºª with² Absalom.º

David upon the news fleeth from Jerusalem.

13 ¶ And there cameºª a messengerºª to² David,º saying,ºª The heartsº of the menº of Israelº are² afterº Absalom.º 14 And Davidº saidºª unto all² his servantsº that² [were] with² him at Jerusalem,º Arise,ºª and let us flee;¹ª² for² we shall² not² [else] escapeº from¹²² Absalom:º make speedºª to depart,¹ª² lest² he overtakeºª us suddenly,ºª and bringºª² evilº upon² us, and smiteºª the cityº with the edgeº of the sword.º 15 And the king'sº servantsº saidºª unto² the king,º Behold,² thy servantsº [are ready to do] whatsoever²² my lordº the kingº shall appoint.ºª 16 And the kingº went forth,ºª and all² his householdº afterº him. And the kingº leftºª² tenº women,º [which were] concubines,º to keepºª the house.º 17 And the kingº went forth,ºª and all² the peopleº afterº him, and tarriedºª in a placeº that was far off.ºª¹ 18 And all² his servantsº passed onºª besideº² him; and all² the Cherethites,º and all² the Pelethites,º and all² the Gittites,º sixº hundredº menº which² cameºª afterº him from Gath,º² passed onºª beforeº² the king.º

Ittai would not leave him.

19 ¶ Then saidºª the kingº to² Ittaiº the Gittite,º Wherefore² goest¹ª² thou² also² with² us? returnºª to thy place,º and abideºª with² the king:º for² thou² [art] a stranger,º and also² an exile.ºª 20 Whereas thou camestºª [but] yesterday,º should I this dayº make thee go¹ª up² and downºªªª with² us? seeing I² goºª whither²² I² may,² returnºª thou, and take backºª² thy brethren:º mercyº and truthº [be] with² thee. 21 And Ittaiº answeredºª² the king,º and said,ºª [As] the LORDº liveth,º and [as] my lordº the kingº liveth,º surely²² in what² placeº my lordº the kingº shall be,² whether² in deathº or² life,º even² there² also will thy servantº be.² 22 And Davidº saidºª to² Ittai,º Go¹ª² and pass over.ºª And Ittaiº the Gittiteº passed over,ºª and all² his men,¹² and all² the little onesº that² [were] with² him. 23 And all² the countryº weptºª with a loudº voice,º and all² the peopleº passed over:ºª the kingº also himself passed overºª the brookº Kidron,º and all² the peopleº passed over,ºª towardº² the wayº of² the wilderness.º

Zadok and Abiathar are sent back with the Ark.

24 ¶ And lo² Zadokº also,² and all² the Levitesº [were] with² him, bearingºª² the arkº of the covenantº of God:º and they set downºª² the arkº of God;º and Abiatharº went up,ºª until² all² the peopleº had doneºª passingºª out of² the city.º 25 And the kingº saidºª unto Zadok,º Carry backºª² the arkº of Godº into the city:º if² I shall findºª favourº in the eyesº of the LORD,º he will bring me again,ºª and shewºª me [both] it, and his habitation:º 26 But if² he thus² say,ºª I have no² delightºª in thee; behold,² [here am] I, let him doºª to me as² seemethº goodº unto him. 27 The kingº saidºª also unto² Zadokº the priest,º [Art not] thou² a seer?ºª returnºª into the cityº in peace,º and your twoº sonsº with² you, Ahimaazº thy son,º and Jonathanº the sonº of Abiathar.º 28 See,ºª I² will tarryºª in the plainºª¹ of the wilderness,º until² there comeºª wordº from²² you to certifyºª me. 29 Zadokº therefore and Abiatharº carriedºª² the arkº of Godº again¹ª to Jerusalem:º and they tarriedºª there.²

David and his company go up mount Olivet weeping.

30 ¶ And Davidº went upºª by the ascentº of [mount] Olivet,º and weptºª as he went up,ºª and had his headº covered,ºª and he² wentºª barefoot:º and all² the peopleº that² [was] with² him coveredºª every manº his head,º and they went up,ºª weepingºª as they went up.ºª

He curseth Ahithophel's counsel.

31 ¶ And [one] toldºª David,º saying,ºª Ahithophelº [is] among the conspiratorsºª with² Absalom.º And Davidº said,ºª O LORD,º I pray thee,² turn² the counselº of Ahithophelº into foolishness.ºª

Hushai is sent back with instructions.

32 ¶ And it came to pass,² that [when] Davidº was comeºª to² the topº [of the mount], where² he worshippedºª God,º behold,² Hushaiº the Architeº came to meetºª him with his coatº rent,ºª and earthº upon² his head:º 33 Unto whom Davidº said,ºª If² thou passest onºª with² me, then thou shalt be² a burdenº unto² me: 34 But if² thou returnºª to the city,º and sayºª unto Absalom,º I² will be² thy servant,º O king;º [as] I² [have been] thy father'sº servantº hitherto,º² so [will] I² now² also [be] thy servant:º then mayest thou for me defeatºª² the counselº of Ahithophel.º 35 And [hast thou] not² there² with² thee Zadokº and Abiatharº the priests?º therefore it shall be,² [that] what² thingº soever² thou shalt hearºª out of the king's¹ house,º²² thou shalt tellºª [it] to Zadokº and Abiatharº the priests.º 36 Behold,² [they have] there² with² them their twoº sons,º Ahimaazº Zadok'sº [son], and Jonathanº Abiathar'sº [son]; and by² them¹ ye shall sendºª unto² me every² thingº that² ye can hear.ºª 37 So Hushaiº David'sº friendº cameºª into the city,º and Absalomº cameºª into Jerusalem.º