1 Now it came about after this that A1 Kin 1:5Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him. 2 Absalom used to rise early and ARuth 4:1; 2 Sam 19:8stand beside the way to the gate; and when any man had a suit to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “See, AProv 12:2your 1Lit wordsclaims are good and right, but no man listens to you on the part of the king.” 4 Moreover, Absalom would say, “AJudg 9:29Oh that one would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has any suit or cause could come to me and I would give him justice.” 5 And when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and A2 Sam 14:33; 20:9kiss him. 6 In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; ARom 16:18so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 Now it came about at the end of 1Some ancient versions render fourforty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed to the Loʀᴅ, in A2 Sam 3:2, 3Hebron. 8  “For your servant A2 Sam 13:37, 38vowed a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘BGen 28:20, 21If the Loʀᴅ shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Loʀᴅ.’ ” 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘A1 Kin 1:34; 2 Kin 9:13Absalom is king in Hebron.’ ” 11 Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, A1 Sam 9:13who were invited and B1 Sam 22:15went 1Lit in their integrityinnocently, and they did not know anything. 12 And Absalom sent for A2 Sam 15:31Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city BJosh 15:51Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for CPs 3:1the people increased continually with Absalom.

13 Then a messenger came to David, saying, “AJudg 9:3; 2 Sam 15:6The hearts of the men of Israel are 1Lit afterwith Absalom.” 14 David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “A2 Sam 12:11; Ps 3: titleArise and let us flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go in haste, or he will overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 Then the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.” 16 So the king went out and all his household 1Lit at his feetwith him. But A2 Sam 16:21, 22the king left ten concubines to keep the house. 17 The king went out and all the people 1Lit at his feetwith him, and they stopped at the last house. 18 Now all his servants passed on beside him, A2 Sam 8:18all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, B1 Sam 23:13; 25:13; 30:1, 9six hundred men who had come 1Lit at his feetwith him from Gath, passed on before the king.

19 Then the king said to A2 Sam 18:2Ittai the Gittite, “Why will you also go with us? Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile; return to your own place. 20  “You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander with us, while A1 Sam 23:13I go where I will? Return and take back your brothers; B2 Sam 2:6mercy and 1Or faithfulnesstruth be with you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Loʀᴅ lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely ARuth 1:16, 17; Prov 17:17wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.” 22 Therefore David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people passed over. The king also passed over A1 Kin 15:13; 2 Chr 29:16the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward B2 Sam 15:28; 16:2the way of the wilderness.

24 Now behold, A2 Sam 8:17; 20:25Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him BNum 4:15; 1 Sam 4:4, 5carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and C1 Sam 22:20Abiathar came up until all the people had finished passing from the city. 25 The king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Loʀᴅ, then APs 43:3He will bring me back again and show me both it and BEx 15:13; Jer 25:30His habitation. 26  “But if He should say thus, ‘A2 Sam 11:27; 1 Chr 21:7I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, B1 Sam 3:18let Him do to me as seems good 1Lit in His sightto Him.” 27 The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Are you not A1 Sam 9:6-9a seer? Return to the city in peace and your B2 Sam 17:17two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28  “See, I am going to wait AJosh 5:10; 2 Sam 17:16at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 Therefore Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.

30 And David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went, and AEsth 6:12; Ezek 24:17, 23his head was covered and he walked BIs 20:2-4barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went. 31 Now someone told David, saying, “A2 Sam 15:12Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Loʀᴅ, I pray, B2 Sam 16:23; 17:14, 23make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.”

32 It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the AJosh 16:2Archite met him with his 1Or tuniccoat torn and 2Lit grounddust on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you pass over with me, then you will be A2 Sam 19:35a burden to me. 34  “But if you return to the city, and A2 Sam 16:19say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,’ then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me. 35  “Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that A2 Sam 17:15, 16whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36  “Behold A2 Sam 15:27their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and B2 Sam 17:17by them you shall send me everything that you hear.” 37 So Hushai, A2 Sam 16:16; 1 Chr 27:33David’s friend, came into the city, and B2 Sam 16:15Absalom came into Jerusalem.