2 Samuel 15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Absalom Usurps the Throne
15 After this Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.(A) 2 Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road into the gate, and when anyone brought a suit before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out and say, “From what city are you?” When the person said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,”(B) 3 Absalom would say, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no one deputed by the king to hear you.” 4 Absalom would also say, “If only I were judge in the land! Then all who had a suit or cause might come to me, and I would give them justice.”(C) 5 Whenever people came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of them and kiss them. 6 Thus Absalom did to every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.(D)
7 At the end of four[a] years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron and pay the vow that I have made to the Lord.(E) 8 For your servant made a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram: If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord in Hebron.”[b](F) 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: Absalom has become king at Hebron!” 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom; they were invited guests, and they went in innocence, knowing nothing of the matter.(G) 12 While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for[c] Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. The conspiracy grew in strength, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.(H)
David Flees from Jerusalem
13 A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the Israelites have gone after Absalom.”(I) 14 Then David said to all his officials who were with him at Jerusalem, “Get up! Let us flee, or there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Hurry, or he will soon overtake us, and bring disaster down upon us, and attack the city with the edge of the sword.”(J) 15 The king’s officials said to the king, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king decides.” 16 So the king left, followed by all his household, except ten concubines whom he left behind to look after the house.(K) 17 The king left, followed by all the people, and they stopped at the last house. 18 All his officials passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath passed on before the king.(L)
19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also coming with us? Go back, and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home.(M) 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kinsfolk with you, and may the Lord show[d] steadfast love and faithfulness to you.”(N) 21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.”(O) 22 David said to Ittai, “Go then, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on, with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 The whole country wept aloud as all the people passed by; the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.
24 Abiathar came up, and Zadok also, with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city.(P) 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 bring me back and let me see both it and the place where it stays.(Q) 26 But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,’ here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.”(R) 27 The king also said to the priest Zadok, “Look,[e] go back to the city in peace, you and Abiathar,[f] with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar.(S) 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”(T) 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, with his head covered and walking barefoot, and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.(U) 31 David was told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, “O Lord, I pray you, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”(V)
Hushai Becomes David’s Spy
32 When David came to the summit, where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth on his head.(W) 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.(X) 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘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.(Y) 35 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar.(Z) 36 Their two sons are with them there, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, and by them you shall report to me everything you hear.”(AA) 37 So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.(AB)
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
- 2 Samuel 15:1 The Heb. lacks recruited
- 2 Samuel 15:1 Lit. to run before
- 2 Samuel 15:1 Cf. 1Sam 8:11
- 2 Samuel 15:2 Lit. Absalom
- 2 Samuel 15:2 The Heb. lacks palace
- 2 Samuel 15:2 The Heb. lacks If
- 2 Samuel 15:6 Lit. hearts
- 2 Samuel 15:7 So MT and LXX; Syr Peshitta and Lucian recension of LXX read four
- 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
- 2 Samuel 15:8 Lit. servant vowed a vow
- 2 Samuel 15:9 Lit. he
- 2 Samuel 15:11 Lit. about the matter
- 2 Samuel 15:12 Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandfather; cf. 2Sam 11:3; 23:34
- 2 Samuel 15:12 The Heb. lacks to come
- 2 Samuel 15:12 Lit. he
- 2 Samuel 15:13 Lit. heart of the man
- 2 Samuel 15:13 Lit. have followed after
- 2 Samuel 15:16 Or concubines; i.e. secondary wives
- 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit. on beside
- 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit. Cherethites; i.e. elite body guards
- 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit. Pelethites; i.e. special couriers
- 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit. come at his feet
- 2 Samuel 15:19 The Heb. lacks new
- 2 Samuel 15:19 Lit. Stay in your own place
- 2 Samuel 15:23 The Heb. lacks of the people in
- 2 Samuel 15:25 Lit. and his habitation
- 2 Samuel 15:30 Lit. the Olivet
- 2 Samuel 15:30 The Heb. lacks the Mount of Olives
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
