1 After this, Absalom provided himself with a chariot, horses and fifty men to run before him. 2 Absalom would rise early and stand beside the road to the gate. Whenever a man with a dispute came to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and ask, “What city are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are good and right, but you have no one from the king to hear you.” 4 Then Absalom would say, “If only I were made judge in the land! Everyone with a dispute or a case could come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 Whenever a man approached to bow before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 At the end of forty years, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron and fulfill the vow I made to the LORD. 8 For your servant made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.’ ” 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he set out and went to Hebron.

10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!’ ” 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom as invited guests. They went in good faith, knowing nothing of the matter. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. The conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing. 13 A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14 David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Get up and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom. Hurry and leave, or he may hurry and overtake us, bring disaster on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 The king’s servants said to the king, “Here are your servants, ready for whatever my lord the king chooses.” 16 The king set out with his whole household following him. But he left ten concubines to look after the house. 17 The king set out with all the people following him, and they stopped at the farthest house. 18 All his servants passed beside him, and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king. 19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place. 20 You arrived only yesterday. Should I make you wander with us today, when I myself am going wherever I can? Go back and take your brothers back with you. May kindness and faithfulness be with you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the LORD lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there your servant will be.” 22 David said to Ittai, “Go on and cross over.” So Ittai the Gittite crossed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 The whole land wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king crossed the Kidron ravine, and all the people crossed over toward the road to the wilderness. 24 Zadok was also there with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished passing out of the city. 25 The king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the city. If I find favor in the LORD’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling. 26 But if he says, ‘I have no delight in you,’ here I am. Let him do to me what is good in his eyes.”

27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar. 28 Look, I will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there. 30 David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and his feet bare. All the people with him covered their heads and went up weeping. 31 David was told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “Please, LORD, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.” 32 When David reached the summit, where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his tunic torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king. I was your father’s servant before, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can frustrate Ahithophel’s counsel for me. 35 Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests everything you hear from the king’s house. 36 Their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar. Through them you are to send me everything you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city as Absalom was coming into Jerusalem.