2 Samuel 15:13-18

New Living Translation

David Escapes from Jerusalem

¹³ A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”

¹⁴ “Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.”

¹⁵ “We are with you,” his advisers replied. “Do what you think is best.”

¹⁶ So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace. ¹⁷ The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last house ¹⁸ to let all the king’s men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king’s bodyguard.^[a]