| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him. | 1Some time later Absalom managed to acquire a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. |
| 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 a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,” | 2Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him, "What city are you from?" The person would answer, "I, your servant, am from one of the tribes of Israel." |
| 3Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.” | 3Absalom would then say to him, "Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you." |
| 4And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.” | 4Absalom would then say, "If only they would make me a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement." |
| 5Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him. | 5When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him. |
| 6Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel. | 6Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty of the citizens of Israel. |
| 7After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD. | 7After four years Absalom said to the king, "Let me go and repay my vow that I made to the LORD while I was in Hebron. |
| 8For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’ ” | 8For I made this vow when I was living in Geshur in Aram: 'If the LORD really does allow me to return to Jerusalem, I will serve the LORD.'" |
| 9“Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron. | 9The king replied to him, "Go in peace." So Absalom got up and went to Hebron. |
| 10Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’ ” | 10Then Absalom sent spies through all the tribes of Israel who said, "When you hear the sound of the horn, you may assume that Absalom rules in Hebron." |
| 11Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter. | 11Now two hundred men had gone with Absalom from Jerusalem. Since they were invited, they went naively and were unaware of what Absalom was planning. |
| 12While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing. | 12While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's adviser, to come from his city, Giloh. The conspiracy was gaining momentum, and the people were starting to side with Absalom. |
| 13Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.” | 13Then a messenger came to David and reported, "The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!" |
| 14And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.” | 14So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, "Come on! Let's escape! Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring disaster on us and kill the city's residents with the sword." |
| 15The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.” | 15The king's servants replied to the king, "We will do whatever our lord the king decides." |
| 16Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace. | 16So the king and all the members of his royal court set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines to attend to the palace. |
| 17So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house, | 17The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing at a spot some distance away. |
| 18and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath. | 18All his servants were leaving with him, along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites--some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with the king. |
| 19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland. | 19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country. |
| 20In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.” | 20It seems like you arrived just yesterday. Today should I make you wander around by going with us? I go where I must go. But as for you, go back and take your men with you. May genuine loyal love protect you!" |
| 21But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!” | 21But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the LORD lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether dead or alive, there I will be as well!" |
| 22“March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. | 22So David said to Ittai, "Come along then." So Ittai the Gittite went along, accompanied by all his men and all the dependents who were with him. |
| 23Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness. | 23All the land was weeping loudly as all these people were leaving. As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving on the road that leads to the desert. |
| 24Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until the people had passed out of the city. | 24Zadok and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. When they positioned the ark of God, Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city. |
| 25Then 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 let me see both it and His dwelling place again. | 25Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back to the city. If I find favor in the LORD's sight he will bring me back and enable me to see both it and his dwelling place again. |
| 26But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.” | 26However, if he should say, 'I do not take pleasure in you,' then he will deal with me in a way that he considers appropriate." |
| 27The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan. | 27The king said to Zadok the priest, "Are you a seer? Go back to the city in peace! Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan may go with you and Abiathar. |
| 28See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” | 28Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you reaches me." |
| 29So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there. | 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there. |
| 30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went. | 30As David was going up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping as he went; his head was covered and his feet were bare. All the people who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went up. |
| 31Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!” | 31Now David had been told, "Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom. So David prayed, "Make the advice of Ahithophel foolish, O LORD!" |
| 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. | 32When David reached the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite met him with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. |
| 33David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. | 33David said to him, "If you leave with me you will be a burden to me. |
| 34But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’ | 34But you will be able to counter the advice of Ahithophel if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king! Previously I was your father's servant, and now I will be your servant.' |
| 35Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace. | 35Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you. Everything you hear in the king's palace you must tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests. |
| 36Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.” | 36Furthermore, their two sons are there with them, Zadok's son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan. You must send them to me with any information you hear." |
| 37So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city. | 37So David's friend Hushai arrived in the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem. |
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