2 Samuel 15
15
Absalom’s Conspiracy
1After this Absalom acquired for himself a chariot, horses, and fifty men to run before him. # 1Sa 8:11; 1Ki 1:5 2Absalom would go early and stand beside the way into the gate. When any man who had a dispute concerning which he had come to the king for a judgment approached, Absalom would call to him and say, “Which city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claim is good and right, but there is no one to hear you on behalf of the king.” 4Absalom would continue, “If I were appointed a judge in the land, # Jdg 9:29 then every man who had a claim could come and I would give him justice.”
5When a man would approach to bow before him, he would reach out, embrace him, and kiss him. # 2Sa 14:33 6Absalom acted this way toward every Israelite who came to the king for a judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts # Ro 16:18 of the men of Israel.
7After forty years, Absalom said to the king, “Please allow me to go fulfill my vow that I made to the Lord in Hebron. 8For your servant made a vow # Ge 28:20–21 when I was dwelling in Geshur # 2Sa 13:37–38 in Aram, saying: If indeed the Lord will bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.”
9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.
10But Absalom sent scouts throughout all of the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the horn, say: Absalom has become king in Hebron.” 11Now two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, invited and unsuspecting; they did not know anything. # 1Sa 22:15 12Absalom sent for Ahithophel # 2Sa 15:31 the Gilonite, the advisor of David, from his city Giloh, # Jos 15:51 while he was offering the sacrifices. Now the conspiracy was strong, for the number of people with Absalom was continually growing.
David Flees Jerusalem
13A messenger came to David and said, “The hearts of the men of Israel are following Absalom.” # Jdg 9:3; 2Sa 15:6
14David said to all of his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Get up. We must flee or there will be no escape from Absalom for us. # 2Sa 19:9 Hurry up and leave, or he will soon reach us and bring disaster upon us, striking the city with the edge of the sword.”
15The king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king decides.”
16So the king left with his entire house after him, but he left behind ten women, concubines, # 2Sa 16:21–22; 20:3 to watch over the house. 17So the king left with all of the people after him, and they came to a stop at the furthest house. 18Now all his servants passed on beside him, all the Kerethites, # 1Sa 30:14 all the Pelethites, # 2Sa 8:18 and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19The king said to Ittai the Gittite, # 2Sa 18:2 “Why are you also going with us? Go back and dwell with the king, for you are a foreigner and, moreover, exiled from your own place. 20You came only yesterday. Shall I cause you to go roaming around with us today? I am going where I go. # 1Sa 23:13 Go back, and take back your brothers with you. Mercy and truth be with you.” # 2Sa 2:6
21Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives and as lives my lord the king, only in the place where my lord the king is, whether for death or for life, there alone will your servant be.” # Ru 1:16–17; Pr 17:17
22So David said to Ittai, “Go on, pass by.” So Ittai the Gittite passed by, along with all of his men and all of the children and elderly who were with him.
23The whole land wept with a loud voice as all the people passed by. Now the king was crossing over the brook Kidron, # 1Ki 2:37 and all of the people were crossing over on the road to the wilderness. # 2Sa 16:2
24And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok # 2Sa 8:17 also came, and all of the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; # Nu 4:15 and they set down the ark of God until all of the people had finished passing out of the city.
25The king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the city. If I have found favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and allow me to see both it and its resting place. # Ex 15:13; Jer 25:30 26But if He should say now, ‘Behold, I take no delight in you,’ # 2Sa 22:20 here I am, let Him do to me what seems good to Him.” # 1Sa 3:18
27The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? # 1Sa 9:9 Return to the city in peace with your two sons, your son Ahimaaz # 2Sa 17:17 and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28I will wait at the fords of the wilderness # 2Sa 15:23; 17:16 until word from you comes to inform me.” 29So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and he went barefoot. Then all of the people who were with him each covered his head # 2Sa 19:4; Est 6:12 and went up, weeping as they went. 31Now it was reported to David that Ahithophel was conspiring with Absalom, # 2Sa 16:23; 17:14 and David said, “O Lord, make the advice of Ahithophel folly.”
32When David came to the summit where he would worship God, behold, Hushai the Arkite # Jos 16:2 approached him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. # 2Sa 1:2 33David said to him, “If you pass on with me, you will be a burden to me. # 2Sa 19:35 34But if you return to the city, you may say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king, as I was a servant of your father. As I was then, so now I am your servant,’ so as to counter the advice of Ahithophel. 35Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you there? You shall report everything that you hear from the king’s house to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. # 2Sa 17:15–16 36Behold, their two sons Ahimaaz the son of Zadok and Jonathan the son of Abiathar # 2Sa 15:27; 17:17 will be there with them. You shall send word of everything that you hear to me by their hand.”
37So Hushai, the friend of David, # 2Sa 16:15–16; 1Ch 27:33 came to the city as Absalom entered Jerusalem.
Currently Selected:
2 Samuel 15: MEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
