2 Samuel chapter 15
English Standard Version
1After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, "From what city are you?" And when he said, "Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel," 3Absalom would say to him, "See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you." 4Then Absalom would say, "Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice." 5And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron. 8For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord.’" 9The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose and went to Hebron. 10But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’" 11With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. 12And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David 's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.
13And a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom." 14Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword." 15And the king 's servants said to the king, "Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides." 16So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. 17And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.
18And all his servants 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. 19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you." 21But Ittai answered the king, "As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be." 22And David said to Ittai, "Go then, pass on." So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.
24And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25Then 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 his dwelling place. 26But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him." 27The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." 29So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31And it was told David, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."
32While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. 33David said to him, "If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34But 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. 35Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king 's house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok 's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar 's son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear." 37So Hushai, David 's friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
New International Version
1In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?" He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." 3Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you." 4And Absalom would add, "If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice."
5Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
7At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the Lord. 8While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron. ’ "
10Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’ " 11Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. 12While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.
16The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. 18All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.
19The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. 20You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness."
25Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. 26But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him."
27The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons. 28I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 31Now David had been told, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness."
32When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. 33David said to him, "If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. 34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice. 35Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace. 36Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear."
New American Standard Bible
1Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run ahead of him. 2And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road to the gate; and when any man who had a lawsuit was to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him and say, 'From what city are you?' And he would say, 'Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.' 3Then Absalom would say to him, 'See, your claims are good and right, but you have no one to listen to you on the part of the king.' 4Moreover, Absalom would say, 'Oh that someone would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has a lawsuit or claim could come to me, and I would give him justice!' 5And whenever a man approached to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6Absalom dealt this way with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
7Now it came about at the end of four years that Absalom said to the king, 'Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to the Lord, in Hebron. 8For your servant made a vow while I was living in Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’?' 9The king said to him, 'Go in peace.' So he got up and went to Hebron. 10But Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, 'As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!’?' 11Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently, for they did not know anything. 12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people continually increased with Absalom.
13Then a messenger came to David, saying, 'The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.' 14So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, '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.' 15Then the king’s servants said to the king, 'Behold, your servants will do whatever my lord the king chooses.' 16So the king left, and all his household with him; but the king left ten concubines behind to take care of the house. 17The king left, and all the people with him, and they stopped at the last house. 18Now all of his servants passed by beside him, and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed by before the king.
19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, 'Why should you go with us too? Return and stay with your king, since you are a foreigner and an exile as well; return to your own place. 20You came only yesterday, so should I make you wander with us today, while I go wherever I go? Return and take your brothers back; mercy and truth be with you.' 21But Ittai answered the king and said, '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 assuredly shall your servant be!' 22Then David said to Ittai, 'Go and cross over the brook Kidron.' So Ittai the Gittite crossed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people were crossing over. The king was also crossing over the brook Kidron, and all the people were crossing over toward the way of the wilderness.
24Now behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar came up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city. 25And the king said to Zadok, 'Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then He will bring me back and show me both it and His habitation. 26But if He says this: ‘I have no delight in you,’ then here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.' 27The king also said to Zadok the priest, 'Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28See, I am going to wait at the river crossing places of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.' 29So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.
30And David was going up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, and his head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his own head, and they were going up, weeping as they went. 31Now someone informed David, saying, 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.' And David said, 'Lord, please make the advice of Ahithophel foolish.'
32It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn, and dust on his head. 33And David said to him, 'If you go over with me, then you will become a burden to me. 34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; even as I was your father’s servant in time past, so now I will also be your servant,’ then you can foil the advice of Ahithophel for me. 35Are Zadok and Abiathar the priests not with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36Behold their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything that you hear.' 37So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
Christian Standard Bible
1After this, Absalom got himself a chariot, horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for settlement, Absalom called out to him and asked, "What city are you from?" If he replied, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel," 3Absalom said to him, "Look, your claims are good and right, but the king does not have anyone to listen to you." 4He added, "If only someone would appoint me judge in the land. Then anyone who had a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would make sure he received justice." 5When a person approached to pay homage to him, Absalom reached out his hand, took hold of him, and kissed him. 6Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for a settlement. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7When four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I made to the Lord. 8For your servant made a vow when I lived in Geshur of Aram, saying: If the Lord really brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron."
11Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They had been invited and were going innocently, for they did not know the whole situation. 12While he was offering the sacrifices, Absalom sent for David’s adviser Ahithophel the Gilonite, from his city of Giloh. So the conspiracy grew strong, and the people supporting Absalom continued to increase.
15The king’s servants said to the king, "Whatever my lord the king decides, we are your servants." 16Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17So the king set out, and all the people followed him. They stopped at the last house 18while 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 —marched past the king.
19The king said to Ittai of Gath, "Why are you also going with us? Go back and stay with the new king since you’re both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland. 20Besides, you only arrived yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I go wherever I can? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness."
22"March on," David replied to Ittai. So Ittai of Gath marched past with all his men and the dependents who were with him. 23Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly while all the people were marching out of the city. As the king was crossing the Kidron Valley, all the people were marching past on the road that leads to the wilderness.
24Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until the people had finished marching past. 25Then the king instructed Zadok, "Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor with the Lord, he will bring me back and allow me to see both it and its dwelling place. 26However, if he should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am—he can do with me whatever pleases him."
27The king also said to the priest Zadok, "Look, return to the city in peace and your two sons with you: your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28Remember, I’ll wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." 29So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.
32When David came to the summit where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. 33David said to him, "If you go away with me, you’ll be a burden to me, 34but if you return to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, Your Majesty! Previously, I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can counteract Ahithophel’s counsel for me. 35Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Report everything you hear from the palace to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. 36Take note: their two sons are there with them—Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. Send them to tell me everything you hear." 37So Hushai, David’s personal adviser, entered Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
New Living Translation
1After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. 2He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe. 3Then Absalom would say, 'You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it. 4I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!'
5When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them. 6Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.
7After four years, Absalom said to the king, 'Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and fulfill a vow I made to him. 8For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the Lord in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem.'
9All right,' the king told him. 'Go and fulfill your vow.' So Absalom went to Hebron. 10But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. 'As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,' his message read, 'you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.’' 11He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions. 12While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.
16So 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. 17The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last house 18to 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.
19Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, 'Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. 20You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don’t even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the Lord show you his unfailing love and faithfulness. '
25Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. 'If the Lord sees fit,' David said, 'he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. 26But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.'
27The king also told Zadok the priest, 'Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you.' 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.
30David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill. 31When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, 'O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!'
32When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. 33But David told him, 'If you go with me, you will only be a burden. 34Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice. 35Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king’s palace, 36and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.'
King James Version
1And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. 3And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. 4Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
5And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. 6And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord, in Hebron. 8For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord. 9And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.
10But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron. 11And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing. 12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom. 13And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. 14And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. 15And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.
16And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house. 17And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off. 18And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile. 20Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.
21And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. 22And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
23And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness. 24And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.
25And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation: 26But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.
27The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me. 29Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
30And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. 31And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
32And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head: 33Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me: 34But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. 35And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.
New King James Version
1After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel.” 3Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your case is good and right; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you.” 4Moreover Absalom would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.” 5And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. 6In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7Now it came to pass after forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please, let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. 8For your servant took a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the Lord indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’ ”
10Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’ ” 11And with Absalom went two hundred men invited from Jerusalem, and they went along innocently and did not know anything. 12Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city—from Giloh—while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number.
15And the king’s servants said to the king, “We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands.” 16Then the king went out with all his household after him. But the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house. 17And the king went out with all the people after him, and stopped at the outskirts. 18Then all his servants passed before him; and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king.
19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Return and remain with the king. For you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place. 20In fact, you came only yesterday. Should I make you wander up and down with us today, since I go I know not where? Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.”
22So David said to Ittai, “Go, and cross over.” Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over. 23And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness.
24There was Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city. 25Then 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 show me both it and His dwelling place. 26But if He says thus: ‘I have no delight in you,’ here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.” 27The king also said to Zadok the priest, “ Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28See, I will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem. And they remained there.
30So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up. 31Then someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
32Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God—there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. 33David said to him, “If you go on with me, then you will become a burden to me. 34But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s servant previously, so I will now also be your servant,’ then you may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me. 35And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? Therefore it will be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall tell to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36Indeed they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything you hear.”
What does 2 Samuel chapter 15 mean?
After David took Bathsheba and murdered Uriah (2 Samuel 11:1–5, 14–17), God sent the prophet Nathan to tell David the repercussions of his sins (2 Samuel 12:1–7). Because David had Uriah killed with violence, violence would never leave David's household. Because David betrayed his good friend, someone from David's household would betray him. Because David took Uriah's wife, someone in his household would take his wives.The first curse came to pass when David's son Amnon raped his daughter Tamar, and Tamar's full brother Absalom murdered Amnon (2 Samuel 13).
The curse of betrayal begins in this chapter. After killing his brother, Absalom fled to his maternal grandfather and stayed in exile for three years (2 Samuel 13:37–38). Eventually, David invited him home, but it took another two years before he agreed to reconcile (2 Samuel 14:21–24, 28). With his position and dignity restored, Absalom is ready to conspire against his father.
Absalom begins by assuming the appearance of royal authority. He travels around Jerusalem in a chariot accompanied by fifty soldiers. He positions himself as the crown prince of Israel in the gate of the city, intercepting those who have come from around Israel to ask the king to settle their disputes. Absalom tells them the king can't help them, that David won't even commission a judge for their tribe, but Absalom would give them justice if he were king. Absalom also refuses to allow the people to bow before him, embracing them, instead (2 Samuel 15:1–6).
After four years, Absalom asks David to allow him to go to Hebron to make sacrifices to fulfill an old vow. David agrees. Absalom uses a network of rams' horns to cue his followers to declare him king. He even recruits David's best advisor, Ahithophel, to his side (2 Samuel 15:7–12).
When David hears, he quickly warns his servants and everyone loyal to him to flee the city before Absalom arrives. David takes his foreign bodyguard and 600 men from Gath and their families, leaving behind only ten concubines to care for the house and a few key men to spy on Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13–22).
The priests Zadok and Abiathar try to follow David with the ark. David tells them to stay in Jerusalem. David will live or die based on the Lord's will for him, not on the nearness of the ark. On the Mount of Olives, David recruits his friend Hushai to return to Jerusalem. His mission is to counter Ahithophel's counsel and send him news through Zadok's and Abiathar's sons (2 Samuel 15:23–37).
As the exiles continue east to the Jordan River, David meets one man who lies to him and another who curses him. Meanwhile, Absalom enters the city and follows Ahithophel's advice to sleep with David's concubines: a symbol that he is taking authority. This is also the fulfillment of God's third curse on David. Yet Hushai manages to counter Ahithophel's other advice enough to save David and his people. Eventually, Joab eventually kills Absalom in battle (2 Samuel 16—18). David deeply mourns Absalom, but he is finally free of the curse.
