2 Samuel 15

1 After this, Absalom prepared him charets and horses, and fiftie men to runne before him.

And it came to pass, after this, that Absolom prepared him chariots and horses, —and fifty men, to run before him.

2 And Absalom rose vp early, and stoode hard by the entring in of the gate: and euery man that had any matter, and came to the King for iudgement, him did Absalom call vnto him, and sayde, Of what citie art thou? And he answered, Thy seruant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

And Absolom used to rise up early, and take his stand beside the way of the gate, —and so it was—when any man who had a controversy would come unto the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said: Of what city, art, thou? And he said, Of one of the tribes of Israel, is thy servant. And Absolom said unto him,

3 Then Absalom said vnto him, See, thy matters are good and righteous, but there is no man deputed of the King to heare thee.

See! thy cause, is good and right, —but, to hear it, thou hast no one, from the king.

4 Absalom sayd moreouer, Oh that I were made Iudge in the lande, that euery man which hath any matter of controuersie, might come to me, that I might do him iustice.

And Absalom said, Oh would that I were appointed to judge in the land! that, unto me, might come every man having a complaint or a defence, then would I see him righted.

5 And when any man came neere to him, and did him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and tooke him, and kissed him.

Moreover, so it used to be, that, when any man came near to do him homage, he would put forth his hand, and lay hold of him, and kiss him.

6 And on this maner did Absalom to al Israel, that came to the King for iudgement: so Absalom stale the hearts of the men of Israel.

And Absolom did, after this manner, to all Israel who came for judgment, unto the king, —so Absolom stole away the heart of the men of Israel.

7 And after fourtie yeeres, Absalom sayd vnto the King, I pray thee, let me go to Hebron, and render my vowe which I haue vowed vnto the Lord.

And it came to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absolom said unto the king—Let me go, I pray thee, that I may pay my vow which I have vowed unto Yahweh, in Hebron;

8 For thy seruant vowed a vowe when I remayned at Geshur, in Aram, saying, If the Lord shall bring me againe in deede to Ierusalem, I will serue the Lord.

for thy servant vowed, a vow, while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, —If Yahweh, will but bring me back, unto Jerusalem, then will I serve Yahweh,

9 And the King sayd vnto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.

And the king said unto him—Go and prosper! So he arose and went to Hebron.

10 Then Absalom sent spyes throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, When yee heare the sound of the trumpet, Ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

And Absolom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, —When ye hear the sound of the horn, then shall ye say, Absolom hath become king in Hebron!

11 And with Absalom went two hundreth men out of Ierusalem, that were called: and they went in their simplicitie, knowing nothing.

And, with Absolom, went two hundred men, out of Jerusalem, who, having been bidden, were going in their simplicity, —neither knew they anything.

12 Also Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite Dauids counseller, from his citie Giloh, while he offred sacrifices: and the treason was great: for the people encreased still with Absalom.

And Absalom sent and called Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, out of his city, out of Gilo, when he was offering sacrifices, —and so it was that the conspiracy was strong, and, the people, went on multiplying with Absolom.

13 Then came a messenger to Dauid, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are turned after Absalom.

Then came one bearing tidings unto David, saying, —It hath come about, that the heart of the men of Israel goeth after Absolom.

14 Then Dauid sayd vnto all his seruants that were with him at Ierusalem, Vp, and let vs flee: for we shall not escape from Absalom: make speede to depart, lest he come suddenly and take vs, and bring euill vpon vs, and smite the citie with the edge of the sworde.

Then said David, to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem—Arise and let us flee, or we shall have no way of escape from the face of Absolom, —make speed to depart, lest he make speed, and so overtake us, and bring down misfortune upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

15 And the Kings seruants sayd vnto him, Behold, thy seruants are ready to do according to all that my lord the King shall appoynt.

And the king’s servants said unto the king, —According to all that my lord the king shall choose, here are thy servants.

16 So the King departed and all his houshold after him, and the King left ten concubines to keepe the house.

So the king went forth, with all his household attending him, —but the king left ten women who were concubines, to keep the house.

17 And the King went forth and all the people after him, and taried in a place farre off.

Thus then the king went forth, with all the people attending him, —and they came to a stand at a place that was far off.

18 And all his seruants went about him, and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, euen sixe hudreth men which were come after him from Gath, went before the King.

And, all his servants, were passing on beside him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, —and, all the Gittites—six hundred men, who had accompanied him from Gath, —were passing on before the king.

19 Then sayde the King to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore commest thou also with vs? Returne aud abide with the King, for thou art a stranger: depart thou therefore to thy place.

Then said the king, unto Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore shouldest, thou also, go with us? return and abide with the king, for, a stranger, art thou, moreover also, an exile, art thou from thine own country.

20 Thou camest yesterday, and should I cause thee to wander to day and go with vs? I will goe whither I can: therefore returne thou and cary againe thy brethren: mercy and trueth be with thee.

Only yesterday, camest thou, and, today, shall I let thee wander with us, on our journey, seeing that, I, am going, whithersoever I may? Return and take back thy brethren with thee, and may Yahweh deal with thee in lovingkindness and faithfulness.

21 And Ittai answered the King, and sayde, As the Lord liueth, and as my lord the King liueth, in what place my lord the King shalbe, whether in death or life, euen there surely will thy seruant bee.

But Ittai answered the king, and said, —By the life of Yahweh, and by the life of my lord the king, surely, in whatsoever place, my lord the king, may be, whether for death or for life, there will, thy servant, be.

22 Then Dauid sayd to Ittai, Come, and go forward. And Ittai the Gittite went, and all his men, and all the children that were with him.

Then said David unto Ittai—Go, and pass on. So Ittai the Gittite passed on, with all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

23 And all the countrey wept with a loude voyce, and all the people went forward, but the King passed ouer the brooke Kidron: and all the people went ouer toward the way of ye wildernes.

And, fall the land, was weeping, with a loud voice, and, all the people, were passing on, —the king also, was passing on, through the torrent-bed of Kidron, and all the people were passing on over the face of the way leading to the wilderness.

24 And lo, Zadok also was there, and all the Leuites with him, bearing the Arke of the couenant of God: and they set downe the Arke of God, and Abiathar went vp vntill the people were all come out of the citie.

And lo! Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, were 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 made an end of passing over out of the city.

25 Then the King said vnto Zadok, Carie the Arke of God againe into the citie: if I shall finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me againe, and shewe me both it, and the Tabernacle thereof.

Then said the king unto Zadok, Take back the ark of God into the city, —if I find favour in the eyes of Yahweh, then will he bring me back, and let me see both him and his habitation,

26 But if he thus say, I haue no delite in thee, behold, here am I, let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes.

but, if thus, he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do unto me as may be good in his eyes.

27 The King sayde againe vnto Zadok the Priest, Art not thou a Seer? returne into the citie in peace, and your two sonnes with you: to wit, Ahimaaz thy sonne, and Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar.

And the king said, unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not, a seer? return into the city, in peace, —and Ahimaaz thine own son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar—your two sons, with you.

28 Behold, I wil tarie in the fieldes of the wildernesse, vntill there come some worde from you to be tolde me.

See! I, am tarrying in the waste plains of the wilderness—until there come word from you, to tell me.

29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar caried the Arke of God againe to Ierusalem, and they taried there.

So Zadok and Abiathar took back the ark of God to Jerusalem, —and abode there.

30 And Dauid went vp the mount of oliues and wept as he went vp, and had his head couered, and went barefooted: and al the people that was with him, had euery man his head couered, and as they went vp, they wept.

Now, David, was going up by the ascent of Olivet, weeping as he went up, with his head covered, himself, passing on barefoot, —and all the people who were with him, covered every man his head, and went up, weeping as they went.

31 Then one tolde Dauid, saying, Ahithophel is one of them that haue cospired with Absalom: and Dauid sayde, O Lord, I pray thee, turne the counsell of Ahithophel into foolishnesse.

And, unto David, it was told, saying, Ahithophel, is among the conspirators with Absolom. And David said, Turn to foolishness, I pray thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.

32 Then Dauid came to the toppe of the mount where he worshipped God: and beholde, Hushai the Archite came against him with his coate torne, and hauing earth vpon his head.

And it came to pass, when David reached the summit, where he bowed himself down unto God, that lo! there met him, Hushai the Archite, his tunic rent, and earth upon his head.

33 Vnto whom Dauid sayd, If thou goe with me, thou shalt be a burthen vnto me.

And David said unto him, —If thou pass over with me, then shalt thou become unto me, a burden;

34 But if thou returne to the citie, and say vnto Absalom, I wil be thy seruant, O King, (as I haue bene in time past thy fathers seruant, so will I now be thy seruant) then thou mayest bring me the counsell of Ahithophel to nought.

but, if, to the city, thou return, then canst thou say unto Absolom—Thy servant, I, O king, will be, as, the servant of thy father, I was formerly, so will I, now, be thy servant: thus shalt thou frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the Priests? therefore what so euer thou shalt heare out of the Kings house, thou shalt shew to Zadok and Abiathar the Priests.

And hast thou not, with thee, there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so then it shall be, that, what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the house of the king, thou shalt tell to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests.

36 Beholde, there are with them their two sonnes: Ahimaaz Zadoks sonne, and Ionathan Abiathars sonne: by them also shall ye send me euery thing that ye can heare.

Lo! they have there with them, their two sons, Ahimaaz for Zadok, and Jonathan for Abiathar, —so shall ye send, by their hand, unto me, everything which ye shall hear.

37 So Hushai Dauids friend went into the citie: and Absalom came into Ierusalem.

So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city, —when, Absolom, was about to enter Jerusalem.