2 Samuel 15:13-18

Common English Bible

David flees from Jerusalem

¹³ A messenger came to David, reporting, “The hearts of the Israelites have gone over to Absalom.” ¹⁴ Then David told all the servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come on! We have to run for it, or we won’t be able to escape Absalom. Hurry, or he will catch up with us in no time, destroy us,^[a] and attack the city with the sword.”

¹⁵ The king’s servants said to him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our master the king decides.” ¹⁶ So the king left, with his entire household following him, but he left ten secondary wives behind to take care of the palace.

¹⁷ So the king left, with all his people following him, and they stopped at the last house. ¹⁸ All the king’s servants marched past him, as did all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.