¹After this , Absalom prepared a chariot and horses for himself , and fifty men to run before him .

²Absalom rose up early , and stood beside the way of the gate . When any man had a suit which should come to the king for judgement, then Absalom called to him , and said , “What city are you from ?”

He said , “Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel .”

³Absalom said to him , “Behold , your matters are good and right ; but there is no man deputized by the king to hear you .”

⁴Absalom said moreover , “Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any suit or cause might come to me , and I would do him justice !”

⁵It was so , that when any man came near to bow down to him , he stretched out his hand , took hold of him , and kissed him .

⁶Absalom did this sort of thing to all Israel who came to the king for judgement. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel .

⁷At the end of forty years , Absalom said to the king , “Please let me go and pay my vow , which I have vowed to the LORD , in Hebron .

⁸For your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the LORD shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem , then I will serve the LORD .’”

⁹The king said to him , “Go in peace .”

So he arose and went to Hebron .

¹⁰But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel , saying , “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet , then you shall say , ‘Absalom is king in Hebron !’”

¹¹Two hundred men went with Absalom out of Jerusalem , who were invited , and went in their simplicity ; and they didn’t know anything .

¹²Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite , David ’s counsellor , from his city , even from Giloh , while he was offering the sacrifices . The conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

¹³A messenger came to David , saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.”

¹⁴David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem , “Arise ! Let ’s flee , or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry to depart , lest he overtake us quickly and bring down evil on us , and strike the city with the edge of the sword .”

¹⁵The king ’s servants said to the king , “Behold , your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.”

¹⁶The king went out , and all his household after him . The king left ten women, who were concubines , to keep the house .

¹⁷The king went out , and all the people after him ; and they stayed in Beth Merhak.

¹⁸All his servants passed on beside him ; and all the Cherethites , and all the Pelethites , and all the Gittites , six hundred men who came after him from Gath , passed on before the king .

¹⁹Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite , “Why do you also go with us ? Return , and stay with the king ; for you are a foreigner and also an exile . Return to your own place .

²⁰Whereas you came but yesterday , should I today make you go up and down with us , since I go where I may ? Return , and take back your brothers. Mercy and truth be with you .”

²¹Ittai answered the king and said , “As the LORD lives , and as my lord the king lives , surely in what place my lord the king is , whether for death or for life , your servant will be there also .”

²²David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over .” Ittai the Gittite passed over , and all his men , and all the little ones who were with him .

²³All the country wept with a loud voice , and all the people passed over . The king also himself passed over the brook Kidron , and all the people passed over towards the way of the wilderness .

²⁴Behold , Zadok also came , and all the Levites with him , bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down God’s ark; and Abiathar went up until all the people finished passing out of the city .

²⁵The king said to Zadok , “Carry God ’s ark back into the city . If I find favour in the LORD ’s eyes , he will bring me again , and show me both it and his habitation ;

²⁶but if he says , ‘I have no delight in you ,’ behold , here I am . Let him do to me as seems good to him .”

²⁷The king said also to Zadok the priest , “Aren’t you a seer ? Return into the city in peace , and your two sons with you , Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

²⁸Behold , I will stay at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me .”

²⁹Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried God’s ark to Jerusalem again ; and they stayed there .

³⁰David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives , and wept as he went up ; and he had his head covered and went barefoot . All the people who were with him each covered his head , and they went up , weeping as they went up .

³¹Someone told David , saying, “Ahithophel is amongst the conspirators with Absalom.”

David said, “LORD , please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness .”

³²When David had come to the top , where God was worshipped , behold , Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his tunic torn and earth on his head .

³³David said to him , “If you pass on with me , then you will be a burden to me ;

³⁴but if you return to the city , and tell 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 will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.’

³⁵Don’t you have Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you ? Therefore whatever you hear out of the king ’s house , tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests .

³⁶Behold , they have there with them their two sons , Ahimaaz, Zadok ’s son , and Jonathan , Abiathar’s son . Send to me everything that you shall hear by them .”

³⁷So Hushai , David ’s friend , came into the city ; and Absalom came into Jerusalem .