2Sa 15 | NASB2020 | STEP | Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses , and fifty men to run ahead of him.

2 Samuel 15

Absalom’s Conspiracy

1 Now it came about after this that ^aAbsalom provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men ^{▼▼Lit as runners ahead}to run ahead of him. 2 And Absalom used to rise early and ^cstand beside the road to the gate; and when any man who had a lawsuit was to come before 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.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “See, ^dyour ^{▼▼Lit words}claims are good and right, but you have no one to listen to you on the part of the king.” 4 Moreover, Absalom would say, “ ^fOh that someone would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has a lawsuit or claim could come to me, and I would give him justice!” 5 And whenever a man approached to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and ^gkiss him. 6 Absalom dealt this way with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; ^hso Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

7 Now it came about at the end of ^{▼▼As in some ancient versions; MT forty}four years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to the Lord, in ^jHebron. 8 For your servant ^kmade a vow while I was living in Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘ ^lIf 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 got up and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘ ^mAbsalom is king in Hebron!’” 11 Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, ⁿwho were invited and ^owent ^{▼▼Lit in their integrity}innocently, for they did not know anything. 12 And Absalom sent for ^qAhithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city ^rGiloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for ^sthe people continually increased with Absalom.

David Flees Jerusalem

13 Then a messenger came to David, saying, “ ^tThe hearts of the people of Israel are ^{▼▼Lit after}with Absalom.” 14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “ ^vArise and let’s flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go quickly, or he will hurry and overtake us, and bring disaster 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 will do whatever my lord the king chooses.” 16 So the king left, and all his household ^{▼▼Lit at his feet}with him; but ^xthe king left ten concubines behind to take care of the house. 17 The king left, and all the people ^{▼▼Lit at his feet}with him, and they stopped at the last house. 18 Now all of his servants passed by beside him, and ^zall the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, ^aasix hundred men who had come ^{▼▼Lit at his feet}with him from Gath, passed by before the king.

19 Then the king said to ^acIttai the Gittite, “Why should you go with us too? Return and stay with ^{▼▼Lit the king}your king, since you are a foreigner and an exile as well; return to your own place. 20 You came only yesterday, so should I make you wander with us today, while ^aeI go wherever I go? Return and take your brothers back; ^afmercy and ^{▼▼Or faithfulness}truth be with you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, ^ahwherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there assuredly shall your servant be!” 22 Then David said to Ittai, “Go and cross over the brook Kidron.” So Ittai the Gittite crossed over with all his men and all the ^{▼▼I.e., children; here, families of the men}little ones who were with him. 23 While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people were crossing over. The king was also crossing over ^ajthe brook Kidron, and all the people were crossing over toward ^akthe way of the wilderness.

24 Now behold, ^alZadok also came, and all the Levites with him, ^amcarrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and ^anAbiathar came up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city. 25 And the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then ^aoHe will bring me back and show me both it and ^apHis habitation. 26 But if He says this: ‘ ^aqI have no delight in you,’ then here I am, ^arlet Him do to me as seems good ^{▼▼Lit in His sight}to Him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not ^ata seer? Return to the city in peace, and your ^autwo sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I am going to wait ^avat the river crossing places of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.

30 And David was going up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, and ^awhis head was covered, and he was walking ^axbarefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his own head, and they were going up, weeping as they went. 31 Now someone informed David, saying, “ ^ayAhithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “Lord, please ^azmake the advice of Ahithophel foolish.”

32 It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the ^baArchite met him with his ^{▼▼Or tunic}coat torn, and ^{▼▼Lit earth}dust on his head. 33 And David said to him, “If you go over with me, then you will become ^bda burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and ^besay to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; even as I was your father’s servant in time past, so now I will also be your servant,’ then you can foil the advice of Ahithophel for me. 35 Are Zadok and Abiathar the priests not with you there? So it shall be that ^bfwhatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold ^bgtheir two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and ^bhby them you shall send me everything that you hear.” 37 So Hushai, ^biDavid’s friend, came into the city, and ^bjAbsalom came into Jerusalem.