¹³ For the Lord’s sake be subject to every human authority,^[a] whether to the emperor as supreme^{(A) 14} or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. ¹⁶ As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil.^{(B) 17} Honor everyone. Love the family of believers.^[b] Fear God. Honor the emperor.^(C)

Being Subject to Authorities

13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.^{(A) 2} Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval,^{(B) 4} for it is God’s agent for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority^[a] does not bear the sword in vain! It is the agent of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience.^{(C) 6} For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s agents, busy with this very thing. ⁷ Pay to all what is due them: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Maintain Good Deeds

3 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,^(A)

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king,

So Israel went away to their tents.^(A)

²¹ They answered, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”^(A)

² Keep^[a] the king’s command, and because of your sacred oath^{(A) 3} do not be terrified; go from his presence; do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases. ⁴ For the word of the king is powerful, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”^{(B) 5} Whoever obeys a command will meet no harm, and the wise mind will know the time and way.

David Flees from Jerusalem

¹³ A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the Israelites have gone after Absalom.”^{(A) 14} Then David said to all his officials who were with him at Jerusalem, “Get up! Let us flee, or there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Hurry, or he will soon overtake us, and bring disaster down upon us, and attack the city with the edge of the sword.”^{(B) 15} The king’s officials said to the king, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king decides.” ¹⁶ So the king left, followed by all his household, except ten concubines whom he left behind to look after the house.^{(C) 17} The king left, followed by all the people, and they stopped at the last house. ¹⁸ All his officials passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath passed on before the king.^(D)

¹⁹ Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also coming with us? Go back, and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home.^{(E) 20} You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kinsfolk with you, and may the Lord show^[a] steadfast love and faithfulness to you.”^{(F) 21} But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.”^{(G) 22} David said to Ittai, “Go then, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on, with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. ²³ The whole country wept aloud as all the people passed by; the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.

²⁴ Abiathar came up, and Zadok also, with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city.^{(H) 25} Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and the place where it stays.^{(I) 26} But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,’ here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.”^{(J) 27} The king also said to the priest Zadok, “Look,^[b] go back to the city in peace, you and Abiathar,^[c] with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar.^{(K) 28} See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”^{(L) 29} So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

³⁰ But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot, and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.^{(M) 31} David was told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, “O Lord, I pray you, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”^(N)

Hushai Becomes David’s Spy

³² When David came to the summit, where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth on his head.^{(O) 33} David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.^{(P) 34} But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.^{(Q) 35} The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar.^{(R) 36} Their two sons are with them there, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, and by them you shall report to me everything you hear.”^{(S) 37} So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.^(T)

⁶ He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to raise my hand against him, for he is the Lord’s anointed.”^(A)