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2 Samuel 15
New American Standard Bible

Absalom’s Conspiracy

15 Now it came about after this that (A)Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men [a]to run ahead of him. 2 And Absalom used to rise early and (B)stand 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, (C)your [b]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, “(D)Oh 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 (E)kiss him. 6 Absalom dealt this way with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; (F)so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

7 Now it came about at the end of [c]four years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to the Lord, in (G)Hebron. 8 For your servant (H)made a vow while I was living in Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘(I)If 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, ‘(J)Absalom is king in Hebron!’” 11 Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, (K)who were invited and (L)went [d]innocently, for they did not know anything. 12 And Absalom sent for (M)Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city (N)Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for (O)the people continually increased with Absalom.

David Flees Jerusalem

13 Then a messenger came to David, saying, “(P)The hearts of the people of Israel are [e]with Absalom.” 14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “(Q)Arise 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 [f]with him; but (R)the king left ten concubines behind to take care of the house. 17 The king left, and all the people [g]with him, and they stopped at the last house. 18 Now all of his servants passed by beside him, and (S)all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, (T)six hundred men who had come [h]with him from Gath, passed by before the king.

19 Then the king said to (U)Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you go with us too? Return and stay with [i]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 (V)I go wherever I go? Return and take your brothers back; (W)mercy and [j]truth be with you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, (X)wherever 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 [k]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 (Y)the brook Kidron, and all the people were crossing over toward (Z)the way of the wilderness.

24 Now behold, (AA)Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, (AB)carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and (AC)Abiathar 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 (AD)He will bring me back and show me both it and (AE)His habitation. 26 But if He says this: ‘(AF)I have no delight in you,’ then here I am, (AG)let Him do to me as seems good [l]to Him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not (AH)a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your (AI)two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I am going to wait (AJ)at 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 (AK)his head was covered, and he was walking (AL)barefoot. 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, “(AM)Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “Lord, please (AN)make the advice of Ahithophel foolish.”

32 It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the (AO)Archite met him with his [m]coat torn, and [n]dust on his head. 33 And David said to him, “If you go over with me, then you will become (AP)a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and (AQ)say 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 (AR)whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold (AS)their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and (AT)by them you shall send me everything that you hear.” 37 So Hushai, (AU)David’s friend, came into the city, and (AV)Absalom came into Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 15:1 Lit as runners ahead
  2. 2 Samuel 15:3 Lit words
  3. 2 Samuel 15:7 As in some ancient versions; MT forty
  4. 2 Samuel 15:11 Lit in their integrity
  5. 2 Samuel 15:13 Lit after
  6. 2 Samuel 15:16 Lit at his feet
  7. 2 Samuel 15:17 Lit at his feet
  8. 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit at his feet
  9. 2 Samuel 15:19 Lit the king
  10. 2 Samuel 15:20 Or faithfulness
  11. 2 Samuel 15:22 I.e., children; here, families of the men
  12. 2 Samuel 15:26 Lit in His sight
  13. 2 Samuel 15:32 Or tunic
  14. 2 Samuel 15:32 Lit earth
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2 Samuel 15
International Standard Version

Absalom Instigates Civil War

15 Sometime later, Absalom acquired a chariot equipped with horses and recruited[a] 50 men to accompany[b] him.[c] 2 Then he[d] would get up early, stand near the passageway to the palace[e] gate, and when anyone arrived to file a legal complaint for a hearing before the king, Absalom would call to him and ask, “You’re from what city?” If[f] he replied, “Your servant is from one of Israel’s tribes,” 3 Absalom would respond, “Look, your claims are valid and defensible, but nobody will listen to you on behalf of the king. 4 Who will appoint me to be a judge in the land? When anyone arrived to file a legal complaint or other cause, he could approach me for justice and I would settle it!” 5 Furthermore, if a man approached him to bow down in front of him, he would put out his hand, grab him, and embrace him. 6 By doing all of this to anyone who came to the king for a hearing, Absalom stole the loyalty[g] of the men of Israel.

7 And so it was that forty[h] years after Israel had demanded a king,[i] Absalom asked the king, “Please let me go to Hebron so I can pay my vow that I made to the Lord, 8 because when I was living at Geshur in Aram, your servant made this solemn promise:[j] ‘If the Lord ever brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’”

9 The king replied to him, “Go in peace!” So Absalom[k] got up and left for Hebron.

10 But Absalom sent agents throughout all of the tribes of Israel, telling them, “When you hear the sound of the battle trumpet, you’re to announce that Absalom is king in Hebron.” 11 Meanwhile, 200 men left Jerusalem with Absalom. They had been invited to go along, but were innocent, not knowing anything about what was happening.[l] 12 Absalom also sent for Ahithophel[m] the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come[n] from his home town of Giloh while Absalom[o] was presenting the sacrificial offerings. And so the conspiracy widened, because the common people increasingly sided with Absalom.

David Flees from Jerusalem

13 Then a messenger arrived to inform David, “The loyalties of the men[p] of Israel have shifted to[q] Absalom.”

14 So David told all of his staff who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let’s get up and get out of here! Otherwise, none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry, or he’ll overtake us quickly, bring disaster on all of us, and execute the inhabitants of the city!”

15 “Look!” the king’s staff replied. “Your servants will do whatever the king chooses.” 16 So the king left, taking his entire household with him except for ten mistresses,[r] who were to keep the palace in order. 17 The king left, along with all of his people with him, and they paused at the last house. 18 All of his staff were going on ahead of[s] him—that is, all of the special forces[t] and mercenaries,[u] all of the Gittites, and 600 men who had come to serve[v] him from Gath, went on ahead of the king.

19 Then the king suggested to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you have to go with us? Return and stay with the new[w] king, since you’re a foreigner and exile. Stay where you want to stay.[x] 20 It seems only yesterday that you arrived, so should I make you wander around with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your brothers with you. May gracious love and truth accompany you!”

21 “As the Lord lives,” Ittai answered in reply, “and as your majesty the king lives, wherever your majesty my king may be—whether living or dying—that’s where your servant will be!”

22 So David replied, “Come along, then!” So Ittai the Gittite went along also, accompanied by all of his men and all of his little ones. 23 With all of the people in[y] the territory crying loudly, everybody passed over the Kidron brook, along with the king. Then everyone headed out toward the road that leads to the wilderness.

24 Meanwhile, Zadok showed up also, along with all of the descendants of Levi with him, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God and Abiathar approached while all the people finished abandoning the city. 25 The king told Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I’m shown favor in the Lord’s sight, then he’ll bring me back again and show me both it and the place where it rests.[z] 26 But if he should say something like ‘I’m not pleased with you,’ well then, here I am—let him do to me whatever seems right to him.”

27 The king also asked Zadok the priest, “Aren’t you a seer, too? Go back to the city in comfort, along with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 Look! I’ll camp at the wilderness fords until you send word to inform me.”

29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the Ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there. 30 David then left, going up the Mount of Olives,[aa] crying as he went, with his head covered and his feet bare. All of the people who were with him covered their own heads and climbed up the Mount of Olives,[ab] crying as they went along.

31 Just then, someone told David, “Ahithophel is one of Absalom’s conspirators!”

So David prayed, “Lord, please turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”

Hushai Serves as a Spy

32 Just as David was coming to the top of the Mount of Olives where God was being worshipped, there was Hushai the Archite to meet him, with his coat ripped and dust all over his head! 33 David greeted him, “If you come along with me, you’ll be a burden to me. 34 So go back to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I’ll be your servant, your majesty! Just as I served your father in the past, I can be your servant now.’ That way you can manipulate Ahithophel’s advice to my benefit. 35 Won’t Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? So whatever you hear from the king’s palace, you’re to report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Their two sons—Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan—are with them there. You’ll be sending me everything that you hear through them.” 37 So David’s friend Hushai went back to the city just as Absalom was arriving in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 15:1 The Heb. lacks recruited
  2. 2 Samuel 15:1 Lit. to run before
  3. 2 Samuel 15:1 Cf. 1Sam 8:11
  4. 2 Samuel 15:2 Lit. Absalom
  5. 2 Samuel 15:2 The Heb. lacks palace
  6. 2 Samuel 15:2 The Heb. lacks If
  7. 2 Samuel 15:6 Lit. hearts
  8. 2 Samuel 15:7 So MT and LXX; Syr Peshitta and Lucian recension of LXX read four
  9. 2 Samuel 15:7 The Heb. lacks after Israel had demanded a king; i.e. about ten years before David began his reign. Or forty years after David’s anointing at Bethlehem; cf. 1Sam 16:13
  10. 2 Samuel 15:8 Lit. servant vowed a vow
  11. 2 Samuel 15:9 Lit. he
  12. 2 Samuel 15:11 Lit. about the matter
  13. 2 Samuel 15:12 Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandfather; cf. 2Sam 11:3; 23:34
  14. 2 Samuel 15:12 The Heb. lacks to come
  15. 2 Samuel 15:12 Lit. he
  16. 2 Samuel 15:13 Lit. heart of the man
  17. 2 Samuel 15:13 Lit. have followed after
  18. 2 Samuel 15:16 Or concubines; i.e. secondary wives
  19. 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit. on beside
  20. 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit. Cherethites; i.e. elite body guards
  21. 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit. Pelethites; i.e. special couriers
  22. 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit. come at his feet
  23. 2 Samuel 15:19 The Heb. lacks new
  24. 2 Samuel 15:19 Lit. Stay in your own place
  25. 2 Samuel 15:23 The Heb. lacks of the people in
  26. 2 Samuel 15:25 Lit. and his habitation
  27. 2 Samuel 15:30 Lit. the Olivet
  28. 2 Samuel 15:30 The Heb. lacks the Mount of Olives
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