Absalom rebels_against King David
1Later Absalom got a war-chariot, horses and 50 men who ran in front of his war-chariot. 2Every morning he was up early and he stood next to the road that went to the gate of the city. When someone came to ask the king to judge between him and another person, Absalom called him and asked him from what town he came. When the man said from what town and tribe he came, 3Absalom said to him: ‘Listen to me. You are right, but the king will not listen to you.’ 4Absalom also said: ‘If I were the judge in the land, I would have listened to everyone who came to me to ask me to judge between him and another person.’
5When someone came to Absalom and bowed before him, Absalom put out his hands and hugged and kissed the person. 6Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king so that the king could judge between him and another person. All the Israelites started loving Absalom. 7After Absalom had been back in Jerusalem for 4 years, he said to the king: ‘I want to go to the city of Hebron to do what I have promised the Lord. 8Because when I was in Geshur in the land of Aram, I made a promise to God. I promised that I would sacrificing offerings to the Lord in Hebron if He let me come back to Jerusalem.’ 9The king said to him: ‘You may go.’ Absalom then went to Hebron 10and he sent messengers to all the tribes_of_Israel and he told them: ‘When you hear the ram's-horn blowing, you must all say: “Absalom has become king in Hebron.” ’
11Absalom asked 200 men from Jerusalem and they went with him but they did not know what Absalom wanted to do. 12While Absalom was sacrificing_offerings, he sent someone to go and get Ahithophel from the town of Giloh. Ahithophel was one of David's advisors. There were more and more men who wanted Absalom to become king.
David escapes from Jerusalem
13A messenger came to David and told him that most of the men of Israel wanted Absalom to be king. 14David told all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem: ‘You must come so that we can run away, because Absalom will not let one of us live. If you don't hurry, Absalom will come and he will get us here. He will not feel sorry for us. He will kill all the people in the city.’ 15The king's servants said: ‘Your_Majesty, we will do what you say.’
16The king and his family then started walking and they went out of the city. He told 10 of his concubines to stay there to look after the palace. 17When the king and his family and officials went away, they stopped at the last house at the end of the city. 18David stood there and all his men walked past him. The men who guarded the king, and the 600 men of the town of Gath all went with David. When they walked past the king,
19David asked Ittai: ‘Why do you want to go with us? You are a stranger from the town of Gath. Go back and stay with the new king. 20You have not been with me for a long time. If you come with us, you will suffer when we have to run away. Turn_around and tell your men to go with you. They must stay with you.’
21But Ittai said to the king: ‘As sure as the Lord lives, and as sure as Your_Majesty lives, I want to be at the same place as you are. It is not important to me if I die or if I live.’ 22David said to Ittai: ‘Then you may come with us.’ Ittai of Gath and all his men, and also the old people and their children, went with the king.
David sends the covenant box back to Jerusalem
23All the people were crying loudly and they went with David. The king went through the Kidron Valley and all the people walked on the way to the desert. 24Then Zadok came and with him were all the Levites who carried the covenant box of God, and then they put it down. Abiathar also came and they sacrificed_offerings until all the people were out of the city.
25Then the king said to Zadok: ‘You must take the covenant box of God back to the city. If the Lord is good to me and if He lets me come back, then I will see the covenant box and the tent of the Lord again. 26But if the Lord is not pleased with me, then He can do with me what He thinks is best. 27Zadok, you must see what happens. Go back to the city and do not worry. Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan can go with you and Abiathar. 28I will wait at the place where we go through the Jordan River into the desert. I will wait until you send me a message and let me know what happens.’
29Zadok and Abiathar took the covenant box of God back to Jerusalem and they stayed there. 30David went up the Mount_of_Olives. He was walking and crying. He put a cloth over his head and he did not have shoes on his feet. All the people with him also put cloths over their heads and they cried. 31Someone told David that Ahithophel was with Absalom, and then David prayed and said: ‘Lord, please let Ahithophel's plans fail.’
David sends Hushai back to Jerusalem
32When David came to the top of the Mount_of_Olives, he bowed down before God. Hushai, the Arkite, came to him. Hushai tore his clothes and there was sand on his head. 33David said to Hushai: ‘If you go with us, it will be difficult for me, 34but you will help me if you go back to the city and help me so that Ahithophel's plans fail. You must say to Absalom: “Your_Majesty, I will be your servant. I will serve you now just as I served your father in the past.” 35The priests, Zadok and Abiathar, will be there with you. You must tell them everything that they tell you in the palace. 36Then they can send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what you have heard.’
37So David's friend Hushai came into Jerusalem at the same time that Absalom was coming in.
