2 Samuel 15

1 And it comes to pass afterward that Absalom prepares a chariot and horses for himself, and fifty men are running before him;

And after this Absalom began to furnish himself with a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2 and Absalom has risen early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate, and it comes to pass, every man who has a pleading to come to the king for judgment, that Absalom calls to him and says, “Of what city [are] you?” And he says, “Your servant [is] of one of the tribes of Israel.”

And Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road. Then when anyone had a dispute which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom would call out to him and say, "What city are you from?" When he said, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,"

3 And Absalom says to him, “See, your matters [are] good and straightforward—and there is none listening to you from the king.”

then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your matters are good and right; but there is no one from the king to hear you."

4 And Absalom says, “Who makes me judge in the land, that every man who has a plea and judgment comes to me? Then I have declared him righteous.”

And Absalom would say, "Oh that I were made judge in the land, then anyone who had a dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice."

5 And it has come to pass, in the drawing near of anyone to bow himself to him, that he has put forth his hand, and laid hold on him, and given a kiss to him;

It was so, that when any man came near to do him obeisance, he would extend his hand and embrace him, and kiss him.

6 and Absalom does according to this thing to all Israel who come in for judgment to the king, and Absalom steals the heart of the men of Israel.

Absalom did this sort of thing to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 And it comes to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom says to the king, “Please let me go, and I complete my vow that I vowed to YHWH in Hebron,

It happened at the end of four years, that Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron.

8 for your servant has vowed a vow in my dwelling in Geshur, in Aram, saying, If YHWH certainly brings me back to Jerusalem, then I have served YHWH.”

For your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If the LORD will bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD in Hebron.'"

9 And the king says to him, “Go in peace”; and he rises and goes to Hebron,

The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose, and went to Hebron.

10 and Absalom sends spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, “At your hearing the voice of the horn, then you have said, Absalom has reigned in Hebron.”

But 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 is king in Hebron.'"

11 And two hundred men have gone with Absalom out of Jerusalem, invited ones, and they are going in their simplicity, and have not known anything;

Two hundred men went with Absalom out of Jerusalem, who were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they did not know anything.

12 and Absalom sends Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counselor of David, out of his city, out of Gilo, in his sacrificing sacrifices; and the conspiracy is strong, and the people are going and increasing with Absalom.

And he sent and invited Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh, where he was offering sacrifice. The conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

13 And he who is declaring tidings comes to David, saying, “The heart of the men of Israel has been after Absalom.”

A messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom."

14 And David says to all his servants who [are] with him in Jerusalem, “Rise, and we flee, for we have no escape from the face of Absalom; hurry to go, lest he hurries, and has overtaken us, and forced evil on us, and struck the city by the mouth of the sword.”

So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, otherwise none of us shall escape from Absalom. Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring down the city on top of us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword."

15 And the servants of the king say to the king, “According to all that my lord the king chooses—behold, your servants do.”

Then the king's servants said to him, "Look, your servants are ready to do whatever the king chooses."

16 And the king goes out, and all his household at his feet, and the king leaves ten women—concubines—to keep the house.

And the king went out with all his household following him. But the king left ten women, who were secondary wives, to take care of the palace.

17 And the king goes out, and all the people at his feet, and they stand still at the farthest off house.

So the king went out with all his servants following him, and they stopped at the last house.

18 And all his servants are passing on at his side, and all the Cherethite, and all the Pelethite, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his feet from Gath, are passing on at the front of the king.

And all the people passed on before him. And all those with him, all the officers and warriors, were six hundred men, and they passed on before him. And when all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites who followed him from Gath passed on before the king.

19 And the king says to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you go—you also—with us? Return and abide with the king, for you [are] a stranger, and also an exile, you—to your place.

Then 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 you also are an exile from your place.

20 Your coming in [was only] yesterday, and should I move you to go with us today, since I am going over [to] where [I do not know where] I am going? Return, and take your brothers back. Kindness and truth [be] with you.”

You came only yesterday. Should 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 you kindness and truth."

21 And Ittai answers the king and says, “YHWH lives, and my lord the king lives, surely in the place where my lord the king is—if for death, if for life, surely your servant is there.”

Ittai answered the king, and said, "As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord shall be, whether for death or for life, even there also will your servant be."

22 And David says to Ittai, “Go and pass over”; and Ittai the Gittite passes over, and all his men, and all the infants who [are] with him.

So David said to Ittai, "Go and pass over." Then Ittai passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him.

23 And all the land is weeping [with] a great voice, and all the people are passing over; and the king is passing over through the Brook of Kidron, and all the people are passing over on the front of the way of the wilderness;

And all the land wept aloud as all the people crossed over. And the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people passed before him on the Olive road into the wilderness.

24 and behold, also Zadok, and all the Levites with him, are carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God, and they make the Ark of God firm, and Abiathar goes up, until the completion of all the people to pass over out of the city.

And look, Zadok also came (and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD) and Abiathar. And they set down the ark of God until all the people finished passing by from the city.

25 And the king says to Zadok, “Take back the Ark of God to the city; if I find grace in the eyes of YHWH, then He has brought me back, and shown me it and His habitation;

The king said to Zadok, "Return the ark of God to 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;

26 and if thus He says, I have not delighted in you; here I [am], He does to me as [is] good in His eyes.”

but if he should say, 'I have no delight in you;' look, here I am. Let him do to me as seems good to him."

27 And the king says to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your son Ahimaaz, and Jonathan son of Abiathar, your two sons with you;

And the king said also to Zadok the priest, "Look, you return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

28 see, I am lingering in the plains of the wilderness until the coming in of a word from you to declare to me.”

Look, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."

29 And Zadok takes back—and Abiathar—the Ark of God to Jerusalem, and they abide there.

So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark to Jerusalem and returned it there.

30 And David is going up in the ascent of the [Mount of] Olives, going up and weeping, and he has the head covered, and he is going barefooted, and all the people who [are] with him have each covered his head, and have gone up, going up and weeping;

And David went up by the Ascent of the Olives, and wept as he went, and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up weeping as they went.

31 and David declared, saying, “Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom”; and David says, “Please make the counsel of Ahithophel foolish, O YHWH.”

And it had been told to David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." David said, "LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."

32 And it comes to pass, David has come to the top, where he bows himself to God, and behold, Hushai the Archite [is there] to meet him, [with] his coat torn, and earth on his head;

It happened that when David had come to the top, where God was worshiped, look, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and earth on his head.

33 and David says to him, “If you have passed on with me then you have been for a burden on me,

David said to him, "If you pass on with me, then you will be a burden to me;

34 and if you return to the city and have said to Absalom, I am your servant, O king; I [am] also servant of your father until now, and presently, I [am] also your servant; then you have made void the counsel of Ahithophel for me;

but if you return to the city, and tell Absalom, 'Your brothers have left, O king, after your father left, and now I am your servant, O king. Allow me to live. As I have been your father's servant in the past, so now I am your servant,' then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 and are Zadok and Abiathar the priests not with you there? And it has been, the whole of the matter that you hear from the house of the king you declare to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests.

And look, Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you. So whatever you hear from the king's house you must tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

36 Behold, their two sons [are] there with them: Ahimaaz to Zadok, and Jonathan to Abiathar, and you have sent to me by their hand anything that you hear.”

Look, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And by them you must send to me everything that you hear."

37 And Hushai, David’s friend, comes to the city, and Absalom comes to Jerusalem.

So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.