| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards 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 got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe. | 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." |
| 3Then Absalom would say, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it. | 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." |
| 4I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them 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." |
| 5When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them. | 5When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him. |
| 6Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people 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, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the LORD and fulfill a vow I made to him. | 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 while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the LORD in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem.” | 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“All right,” the king told him. “Go and fulfill your vow.” So Absalom went to Hebron. | 9The king replied to him, "Go in peace." So Absalom got up and went to Hebron. |
| 10But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,” his message read, “you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king 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." |
| 11He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions. | 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, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum. David Escapes from Jerusalem | 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. |
| 13A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!” | 13Then a messenger came to David and reported, "The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!" |
| 14“Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.” | 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." |
| 15“We are with you,” his advisers replied. “Do what you think is best.” | 15The king's servants replied to the king, "We will do whatever our lord the king decides." |
| 16So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after 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. |
| 17The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last house | 17The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing at a spot some distance away. |
| 18to let all the king’s men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king’s bodyguard. | 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 turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, “Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. | 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. |
| 20You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don’t even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the LORD show you his unfailing love 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 said to the king, “I vow by the LORD and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.” | 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!" |
| 22David replied, “All right, come with us.” So Ittai and all his men and their families went along. | 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 cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward 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 and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone 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 instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. “If the LORD sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle 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 is through with me, then let him do what seems best 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 told Zadok the priest, “Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s 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. |
| 28I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you.” | 28Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you reaches me." |
| 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there. | 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there. |
| 30David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill. | 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. |
| 31When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, “O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!” | 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 reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. | 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. |
| 33But David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden. | 33David said to him, "If you leave with me you will be a burden to me. |
| 34Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice. | 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.' |
| 35Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in 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. |
| 36and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.” | 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 returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived. | 37So David's friend Hushai arrived in the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem. |
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