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.