2Samuel 15

15In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him.H310H53H6213H4818H5483H2572H376H7323H64402He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?" He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel."H53H7925H5975H3027H1870H8179H376H7379H935H4428H4941H53H7121H559H335H5892H559H5650H259H7626H34783Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you."H53H559H7200H1697H2896H5228H4428H80854And Absalom would add, "If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice."H53H559H7760H8199H776H376H7379H4941H935H66635Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him.H376H7126H7812H7971H3027H2388H54016Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.H1697H6213H53H3478H935H4428H4941H53H1589H3820H582H34787At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the LORD.H7093H705H8141H53H559H4428H3212H7999H5088H5087H3068H22758While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: 'If the LORD takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron. ' "H5650H5087H5088H3427H1650H758H559H3068H7725H7725H3389H5647H30689The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he went to Hebron.H4428H559H3212H7965H6965H3212H227510Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.' "H53H7971H7270H7626H3478H559H8085H6963H7782H559H53H4427H227511Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter.H53H1980H3967H376H3389H7121H1980H8537H3045H169712While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom's following kept on increasing.H53H7971H302H1526H1732H3289H5892H1542H2076H2077H7195H533H5971H7227H1980H5313A messenger came and told David, "The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom."H935H5046H1732H559H3820H376H3478H310H5314Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, "Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword."H1732H559H5650H3389H6965H1272H6413H6440H53H4116H3212H5381H4116H5080H7451H5221H5892H6310H271915The king's officials answered him, "Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses."H4428H5650H559H4428H5650H113H4428H97716The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace.H4428H3318H1004H7272H4428H5800H6235H802H6370H8104H100417So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city.H4428H3318H5971H7272H5975H1004H4801H102318All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.H5650H5674H3027H3774H6432H1663H8337H3967H376H935H7272H1661H5674H6440H442819The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland.H559H4428H863H1663H3212H7725H4725H3427H4428H5237H154020You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the LORD show you kindness and faithfulness."H935H8543H3117H3212H5128H5128H1980H7725H7725H251H2617H57121But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be."H863H6030H4428H559H3068H2416H113H4428H2416H4725H113H4428H4194H2416H565022David said to Ittai, "Go ahead, march on." So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.H1732H559H863H3212H5674H863H1663H5674H582H294523The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.H776H1058H1419H6963H5971H5674H4428H5674H5158H6939H5971H5674H6440H1870H405724Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.H6659H3881H5375H727H1285H430H3332H727H430H54H5927H5971H8552H5674H589225Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again.H4428H559H6659H7725H727H430H5892H4672H2580H5869H3068H7725H7200H511626But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him."H559H2654H6213H5869H289627The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar's son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons.H4428H559H6659H3548H7200H7725H5892H7965H8147H1121H290H1121H3083H1121H5428I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."H7200H4102H6160H5679H4057H935H1697H504629So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.H6659H54H7725H727H430H7725H3389H342730But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.H1732H5927H4608H2132H1058H5927H7218H2645H1980H3182H5971H2645H376H7218H5927H1058H592731Now David had been told, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness."H5046H1732H559H302H7194H53H1732H559H3068H6098H302H552832When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head.H1732H935H7218H7812H430H2365H757H7125H3801H7167H127H721833David said to him, "If you go with me, you will be a burden to me.H1732H559H5674H485334But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father's servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,' then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel's advice.H7725H5892H559H53H5650H4428H1H5650H227H5650H6565H6098H30235Won't the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king's palace.H6659H54H3548H1697H8085H4428H1004H5046H6659H54H354836Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear."H8147H1121H290H6659H3083H54H3027H7971H1697H808537So Hushai, David's confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.H2365H1732H7463H935H5892H53H935H3389