15:1 And it came to pass after this that
Abessalom prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run
before him.
15:2 And Abessalom rose early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate:
and it came to pass that every man who had a cause, came to the king for
judgment, and Abessalom cried to him, and said to him, Of what city art
thou? And he said, Thy servant [is] of one of the tribes of Israel.
15:3 And Abessalom said to him, See, thy affairs [are] right and clear, yet
thou hast no one [appointed] of the king to hear thee.
15:4 And Abessalom said, O that one would make me a judge in the land; then
every man who had a dispute or a cause would come to me, and I would judge
him!
15:5 And it came to pass when a man came near to do him obeisance, that he
stretched out his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.
15:6 And Abessalom did after this manner to all Israel that came to the king
for judgement; and Abessalom gained the hearts of the men of Israel.
15:7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Abessalom said to his
father, I will go now, and pay my vows, which I vowed to Yehovah in Chebron.
15:8 For thy servant vowed a vow when I dwelt at Gedsur in Syria, saying, If
Yehovah should indeed restore me to Jerusalem, then will I serve Yehovah.
15:9 And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he arose and went to Chebron.
15:10 And Abessalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying,
When ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then shall ye say, Abessalom is
become king in Chebron.
15:11 And there went with Abessalom two hundred chosen men from Jerusalem;
and they went in their simplicity, and knew not anything.
15:12 And Abessalom sent to Achitophel the Theconite, the counsellor of
David, from his city, from Gola, where he was sacrificing: and there was a
strong conspiracy; and the people with Abessalom were increasingly numerous.
15:13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, the heart of the men of
Israel is gone after Abessalom.
15:14 And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem,
Rise, and let us flee, for we have no refuge from Abessalom: make haste and
go, lest he overtake us speedily, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city
with the edge of the sword.
15:15 And the king's servants said to the king, In all things which our lord
the king chooses, behold [we are] thy servants.
15:16 And the king and all his house went out on foot: and the king left ten
women of his concubines to keep the house.
15:17 And the king and all his servants went out on foot; and abode in a
distant house.
15:18 And all his servants passed on by his side, and every Chelethite, and
every Phelethite, and they stood by the olive tree in the wilderness: and
all the people marched near him, and all his court, and all the men of
might, and all the men of war, six hundred: and they were present at his
side: and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and all the six hundred
Gittites that came on foot out of Geth, and they went on before the king.
15:19 And the king said to Ethi, the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us?
return, and dwell with the king, for thou art a stranger, and thou has come
forth as a sojourner out of thy place.
15:20 Whereas thou camest yesterday, shall I to-day cause thee to travel
with us, and shalt thou [thus] change thy place? thou didst come forth
yesterday, and to-day shall I set thee in motion to go along with us? I
indeed will go whithersoever I may go: return then, and cause thy brethren
to return with thee, and may Yehovah deal mercifully and truly with thee.
15:21 And Ethi answered the king and said, [As] Yehovah lives and as my
lord the king lives, in the place wheresoever my lord shall be, whether it
be for death or life, there shall thy servant be.
15:22 And the king said to Ethi, Come and pass over with me. So Ethi the
Gittite and the king passed over, and all his servants, and all the
multitude with him.
15:23 And all the country wept with a loud voice. And all the people passed
by over the brook of Kedron; and the king crossed the brook Kedron: and all
the people and the king passed on toward the way of the wilderness.
15:24 And behold also Sadoc, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the
ark of the covenant of Yehovah from Baethar: and they set down the ark of
Elohim; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had passed out of the city.
15:25 And the king said to Sadoc, Carry back the ark of Elohim into the city:
if I should find favour in the eyes of Yehovah, then will he bring me back,
and he will shew me it and its beauty.
15:26 But if he should say thus, I have no pleasure in thee; behold, [here]
I am, let him do to me according to that which is good in his eyes.
15:27 And the king said to Sadoc the priest, Behold, thou shalt return to
the city in peace, and Achimaas thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar,
your two sons with you.
15:28 Behold, I continue in arms in Araboth of the desert, until there come
tidings from you to report to me.
15:29 So Sadoc and Abiathar brought back the ark of Yehovah to Jerusalem,
and it continued there.
15:30 And David went up by the ascent of [the mount of] Olives, ascending
and weeping, and had his head covered, and went barefooted: and all the
people that were with him covered [every] man his head; and they went up,
ascending and weeping.
15:31 And it was reported to David, saying, Achitophel also [is] among the
conspirators with Abessalom. And David said, O Lord my Elohim, disconcert, I
pray thee, the counsel of Achitophel.
15:32 And David came as far as Ros, where he worshipped Elohim: and behold,
Chusi the chief friend of David came out to meet him, having rent his
garment, and earth [was] upon his head.
15:33 And David said to him, If thou shouldest go over with me, then wilt
thou be a burden to me;
15:34 but if thou shall return to the city, and shalt say to Abessalom, Thy
brethren are passed over, and the king thy father is passed over after me:
and now I am thy servant, O king, suffer me to live: at one time even of
late I was the servant of thy father, and now I [am] thy humble servant-- so
shalt thou disconcert for me, the counsel of Achitophel.
15:35 And, behold, [there are] there with thee Sadoc and Abiathar the
priests; and it shall be that every word that thou shalt hear of the house
of the king, thou shalt report it to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests.
15:36 Behold, [there are] there with them their two sons, Achimaas the son
of Sadoc, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar; and by them ye shall report to
me every word which ye shall hear.
15:37 So Chusi the friend of David went into the city, and Abessalom was
lately gone into Jerusalem. |
15:1 And it came to pass after this, that
Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
15:2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it
was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for
judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And
he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.
15:3 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but
there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.
15:4 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that
every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do
him justice!
15:5 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance,
he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
15:6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for
judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
15:7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king,
I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto Yehovah, in
Hebron.
15:8 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying,
If Yehovah shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the
Yehovah.
15:9 And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to
Hebron.
15:10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As
soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom
reigneth in Hebron.
15:11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were
called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.
15:12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from
his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy
was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.
15:13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of
Israel are after Absalom.
15:14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem,
Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make
speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and
smite the city with the edge of the sword.
15:15 And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are
ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.
15:16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king
left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.
15:17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in
a place that was far off.
15:18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites,
and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came
after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
15:19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also
with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a
stranger, and also an exile.
15:20 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up
and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy
brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.
15:21 And Ittai answered the king, and said, As Yehovah liveth, and as my
lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be,
whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.
15:22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite
passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
15:23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed
over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people
passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
15:24 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark
of the covenant of Elohim: and they set down the ark of Elohim; and Abiathar went
up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.
15:25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of Elohim into the city:
if I shall find favor in the eyes of Yehovah, he will bring me again, and
show me both it, and his habitation:
15:26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let
him do to me as seemeth good unto him.
15:27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return
into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and
Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
15:28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come
word from you to certify me.
15:29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of Elohim again to
Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
15:30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went
up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that
was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they
went up.
15:31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with
Absalom. And David said, O Yehovah, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel
into foolishness.
15:32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount,
where he worshipped Elohim, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with
his coat rent, and earth upon his head:
15:33 Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a
burden unto me:
15:34 But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy
servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now
also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of
Ahithophel.
15:35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests?
therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the
king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
15:36 Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son,
and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing
that ye can hear.
15:37 So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into
Jerusalem. |