1 And it was, after this, Absalom made for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men running before him. 2 And Absalom would rise early and stand by the door of the gate. And it was, every man who had a dispute to bring to the king for judgment, so Absalom would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of Israel's tribes.” 3 And Absalom would say to him, “Look, your matter is good things and upright things, and you have no one from the king who will hear you.” 4 And Absalom would say, “Who will set me to judge in the land? So, unto me would every man come who has a dispute and judgment. So, I would give him justice.” 5 And it was, when a man bowed down to him, so he would reach out his hand and bring it firm to him and kiss him. 6 So Absalom did according to this to all Israel, who came for judgment to the king. And Absalom stole the heart of the men of Israel.
7 And it was, at the end of forty years, so Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow that I vowed to Yehvah in Hebron. 8 For your servant vowed a vow when I dwelt in Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If Yehvah surely brings me back to Jerusalem, so I will serve Yehvah.'” 9 And the king said, “Go in peace.” And he arose and went to Hebron.
10 And Absalom sent spies in all Israel's tribes, saying, “When you hear the sound of the horn, so you shall say, 'Absalom reigns in Hebron.'” 11 And with Absalom were two hundred men from Jerusalem, invited and coming with their integrity, and they knew not a thing. 12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel i the Gilonite, a counselor of David, from his city, when he sacrificed the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, and the people with Absalom continually increased.
13 And one came telling David, saying, “Behold, the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.” 14 And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will have no escape from before Absalom. Hurry to go, lest he hurry and overtake us and the bad be thrust upon us; and he strike the city with the mouth of the sword.” 15 And the king's servants said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has chosen, behold, your servants.”
16 And the king went out and all his house at his feet. And the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house. 17 And the king went out and all the people at his feet, and they stood at the distant house. 18 And all his servants passed by his side and every Cherethite ii and every Pelethite and all the Gittites, iii six hundred men who came at his feet from Wine Press, crossing over before the king.
19 And the king said to Ittai iv the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Return, and dwell with the king, for you are a foreigner. So also, you should depart to your place. 20 Your coming was just yesterday. So, today I wander you with us to go, and I am going, upon where am I going? Return, and bring back your brethren with you – kindness and truth.” 21 And Ittai answered the king and said, “Yehvah lives, and my lord the king lives, for surely in the place where my lord the king is there, if to death, if to life, for there will your servant be.” 22 And David said to Ittai, “Go, and pass over.” And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men and every little one that was with him.
23 And in all the land was a great voice of weeping, and all the people were passing over, and the king passed over at Kidron's brook. And all the people were passing over by the way of the wilderness. 24 And behold, also Zadok and all the Levites were with him carrying the ark of the covenant of the Gods. And they poured v the ark of the Gods. And Abiathar went up until all the people crossed over from the city. 25 And the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of the Gods to the city. If I find favor in Yehvah's eyes, so he will bring me back and show me it and his habitation. 26 And if thus he should say, 'I do not delight in you,' here I am, let him do to me just as is good in his eyes.”
27 And the king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar. 28 Look, I will wait at the fords vi of the wilderness until a word comes from you to declare to me.” 29 And Zadok and Abiathar returned with the ark of the Gods to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 And David went up the ascent of the olives, going up and weeping and his head covered. And he went barefoot. And all the people who were with him, each covered his head. And they went up, going up and weeping. 31 And David declared, vii saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “Yehvah, please make foolish the counsel of Ahithophel.”
32 And it was, David came to the top, where he worshiped there to Gods. And behold, Hushai viii the Archite came to greet him with his robe torn and dirt on his head. 33 And David said to him, “If you cross over with me, so you shall be a burden upon me. 34 But, if you turn back to the city and say to Absalom, 'Your servant, I am of the king. I was servant of your father, so I was at that time. And now, so I am your servant.' And you shall frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 And is not with you there Zadok and Abiathar the priests. And it shall be, every word you hear from the house of the king you shall tell to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, there with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz to Zadok and Jonathan to Abiathar. So, you ix shall send by their hand to me every word that you ix hear.” 37 So, Hushai, David's friend, went in to the city, and Absalom came in to Jerusalem.
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.
- ל פפֶחחתייתִא') achiytophel) “Ahithophel” - found also in 2 Samuel 15:31, 34; 16:15, 20-21, 23; 17:1, 6-7, 14-15, 21, 23; 23:34; 1 Chronicles 27:33-34. ^
- “Cherethite” see 1 Samuel 30:14. ^
- ם תתי גתי) gittiym) “Gittites” = people from Gath תת( ג) gat) = Wine Press ^
- י ת( ת אתי') ittay) “Ittai” - found also in 2 Samuel 15:21-22; 18:2, 5, 12, and also one of David's mighty men in 2 Samuel 23:29; 1 Chronicles 11:31. ^
- ו תצתיק( י) yatsiqu) “poured” (e.g. 1 Kings 18:33[H34]) – BDB “set down (?)” ^
- (NKJV” (plains) “arvot ('ע( ת ר רר בות read); NAS” (fords) “avrot ('ע( ת בר רות Written ^
- רֶאמ לא גתייד התי ד ותי דו) dâvid higgiyd lê'mor) “David declared, saying” YLT; “someone told David, saying” NKJV ^
- י ת( חוש) chushay) “Hushai” - found also in 2 Samuel 15:37; 16:16-18; 17:5-8, 14-15; 1 Kings 4:16; 1 Chronicles 27:33. ^
- Plural “you” ^ ^