David Flees Jerusalem

¹³ Then an informant came to David, saying, “^(A)The hearts of the men of Israel ^[a]have followed Absalom.” ¹⁴ So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “^(B)Arise and let us flee, for otherwise there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go in haste, lest he overtake us hastily and drive calamity 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 are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.” ¹⁶ So the king went out and all his household ^[b]with him. But ^(C)the king left ten concubines to keep the house. ¹⁷ And the king went out and all the people ^[c]with him, and they stopped at the last house. ¹⁸ Now all his servants passed on beside him, ^(D)all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, ^(E)six hundred men who had come ^[d]with him from Gath, passed on before the king.