2 Samuel 15:13-37

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

David Flees from Jerusalem

¹³ And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Ab′salom.” ¹⁴ Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee; or else there will be no escape for us from Ab′salom; go in haste, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.” ¹⁵ And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” ¹⁶ So the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. ¹⁷ And the king went forth, and all the people after him; and they halted at the last house. ¹⁸ And all his servants passed by him; and all the Cher′ethites, and all the Pel′ethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.

¹⁹ Then the king said to It′tai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner, and also an exile from^[a] your home. ²⁰ You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, seeing I go I know not where? Go back, and take your brethren with you; and may the Lord show^[b] steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” ²¹ But It′tai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” ²² And David said to It′tai, “Go then, pass on.” So It′tai the Gittite passed on, with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. ²³ And all the country wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.

²⁴ And Abi′athar came up, and lo, Zadok came also, with all the Levites, 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 bring me back and let me see both it and his habitation; ²⁶ but if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” ²⁷ The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Look,^[c] go back to the city in peace, you and Abi′athar,^[d] with your two sons, Ahim′a-az your son, and Jonathan the son of Abi′athar. ²⁸ See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness, until word comes from you to inform me.” ²⁹ So Zadok and Abi′athar 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, barefoot and with his head covered; and all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. ³¹ And it was told David, “Ahith′ophel is among the conspirators with Ab′salom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahith′ophel into foolishness.”

Hushai Becomes David’s Spy

³² When David came to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. ³⁴ But if you return to the city, and say to Ab′salom, ‘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 Ahith′ophel. ³⁵ Are not Zadok and Abi′athar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abi′athar the priests. ³⁶ Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahim′a-az, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abi′athar’s son; and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” ³⁷ So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Ab′salom was entering Jerusalem.