1And it came to pass after this that Abessalom ⁶³prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2And 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.

3And Abessalom said to him, See, thy affairs are right and ⁶⁴clear, yet thou hast no one appointed of the king to hear thee.

4And 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!

5And 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.

6And Abessalom did after this manner to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; and Abessalom gained the hearts of the men of Israel.

7And it came to pass ⁶⁵after forty years, that Abessalom said to his father, I will go now, and pay my vows, which I vowed to the Lord in Chebron.

8For thy servant vowed a vow when I dwelt at Gedsur in Syria, saying, If the Lord should indeed restore me to Jerusalem, then will I serve the Lord.

9And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he arose and went to Chebron.

10And 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.

11And there went with Abessalom two hundred chosen men from Jerusalem; and they went in their simplicity, and knew not anything.

12And Abessalom sent to Achitophel the Theconite, the counsellor of David, from his city, from Gola, where he was sacrificing: and there was a strong ⁶⁶conspiracy; and the people with Abessalom were increasingly numerous.

13And there came a messenger to David, saying, The heart of the men of Israel is gone after Abessalom.

14And 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.

15And the king's servants said to the king, In all things which our lord the king chooses, behold we are thy servants.

16And the king and all his house went out on foot: and the king left ten women of his concubines to keep the house.

17And the king and all his servants went out on foot; and abode in a distant house.

18And all his servants passed on by his ⁶⁷side, 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 ⁶⁸they went on before the king.

19And 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 hast come forth as a sojourner out of thy place.

20⁶⁹Whereas 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 the Lord deal mercifully and truly with thee.

21And Ethi answered the king and said, As the Lord 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.

22And 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.

23And all the ⁷⁰country wept with a loud voice. And all the people passed by ⁷¹over 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.

24And behold also Sadoc, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Bæthar: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had passed out of the city.

25And the king said to Sadoc, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I should find favour in the eyes of the Lord, then will he bring me back, and he will shew me it and its beauty.

26But 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.

27And the king said to Sadoc the priest, Behold, thou ⁷²shalt return to the city in peace, and Achimaas thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you.

28Behold, I continue in arms in Araboth of the desert, until there come tidings from you to report to me.

29So Sadoc and Abiathar brought back the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem, and it continued there.

30And 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.

31And it was reported to David, saying, Achitophel also is among the conspirators with Abessalom. And David said, O Lord my God, disconcert, I pray thee, the counsel of Achitophel.

32And David came as far as Ros, where he worshipped God: and behold, Chusi the chief friend of David came out to meet him, having rent his garment, and earth was upon his head.

33And David said to him, If thou shouldest go over with me, then wilt thou be a burden to me;

34but 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.

35And, 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.

36Behold, 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.

37So Chusi the friend of David went into the city, and Abessalom was lately gone into Jerusalem.