2 Samuel 15:23-37

English Standard Version

²³ And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed ^(A)the brook ^(B)Kidron, and all the people passed on toward ^(C)the wilderness.

²⁴ And ^(D)Abiathar came up, and behold, ^(E)Zadok came also with all the Levites, ^(F)bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. ²⁵ Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will ^(G)bring me back and let me see both it and his ^(H)dwelling place. ²⁶ But if he says, ‘I have no ^(I)pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, ^(J)let him do to me what seems good to him.” ²⁷ The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a ^(K)seer? Go back^[a] to the city in peace, with ^(L)your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. ²⁸ See, I will wait at ^(M)the fords of ^(N)the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” ²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

³⁰ But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, ^(O)barefoot and ^(P)with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, ^(Q)weeping as they went. ³¹ And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please ^(R)turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

³² While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai ^(S)the Archite came to meet him ^(T)with his coat torn and ^(U)dirt on his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be ^(V)a burden to me. ³⁴ But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ^(W)‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. ³⁵ Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, ^(X)tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Behold, ^(Y)their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, ^(Z)and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” ³⁷ So Hushai, ^(AA)David's friend, came into the city, ^(AB)just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.