2 Samuel 15:1-12

Expanded Bible

Absalom Plans to Take David’s Kingdom

15 After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself and fifty men to run before him [^Cto signal his power and claim of heir to the throne]. ² Absalom would get up early and stand near the city gate [^Cthe hub of the town for judicial, business, and social interaction]. Anyone who had a ·problem [suit; petition; case] for the king to ·settle [judge] would come here. When someone came, Absalom would call out and say, “What city are you from?”

The person would answer, “·I’m [^LYour servant is] from one of the tribes of Israel.”

³ Then Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are ·right [sound/valid and just], but the king has no ·one [representative; deputy] to listen to you.” ⁴ Absalom would also say, “I wish someone would ·make [appoint] me judge in this land! Then people with ·problems [any suit/complaint/case or cause] could come to me, and I ·could help them get [would give them] justice.”

⁵ People would come near Absalom to ·bow to [prostrate themselves before] him. When they did, Absalom would reach out his hand and take hold of them and kiss them [^Cto show he treated them as his equals]. ⁶ Absalom did that to all the Israelites who came to King David for ·decisions [judgment]. In this way, Absalom stole the hearts of all Israel.

⁷ After four^[a] years Absalom said to King David, “Please let me go to Hebron. I want to carry out my ·promise [vow] that I made to the Lord ⁸ while ·I [^Lyour servant] was living in Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will ·worship [offer devotion/a sacrifice to] him in Hebron.’”

⁹ The king said, “Go in peace.”

So Absalom went to Hebron. ¹⁰ But he sent ·secret messengers [spies; or runners] through all the tribes of Israel. They told the people, “When you hear the trumpets, say this: ‘Absalom is the king ·at [in] Hebron!’”

¹¹ Absalom ·had invited [took] two hundred men to go with him. So they went from Jerusalem with him [^Linnocently], ·but they didn’t know [not knowing] what he was planning. ¹² While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, ·one of the people who advised David [David’s counselor], to come from his hometown of Giloh. So ·Absalom’s plans were working very well [the conspiracy grew stronger]. More and more people began to support him.