David Flees Jerusalem

13 Then a messenger came to David, saying, “(A)The hearts of the people of Israel are [a]with Absalom.” 14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “(B)Arise and let’s flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go quickly, or he will hurry and overtake us, and bring disaster 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 will do whatever my lord the king chooses.” 16 So the king left, and all his household [b]with him; but (C)the king left ten concubines behind to take care of the house. 17 The king left, and all the people [c]with him, and they stopped at the last house. 18 Now all of his servants passed by beside him, and (D)all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, (E)six hundred men who had come [d]with him from Gath, passed by before the king.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 15:13 Lit after
  2. 2 Samuel 15:16 Lit at his feet
  3. 2 Samuel 15:17 Lit at his feet
  4. 2 Samuel 15:18 Lit at his feet

13 Then an informer came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”

14 David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Get up. We have to flee, or we will not escape from Absalom!(A) Leave quickly, or he will overtake us quickly, heap disaster on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

15 The king’s servants said to the king, “Whatever my lord the king decides, we are your servants.” 16 Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17 So the king set out, and all the people followed him. They stopped at the last house 18 while all his servants marched past him. Then all the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and the people of Gath—six hundred men who came with him from there(B)—marched past the king.

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