| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Some time later Absalom managed to acquire a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. | 1Sometime later, Absalom acquired a chariot equipped with horses and recruited 50 men to accompany him. |
| 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." | 2Then he would get up early, stand near the passageway to the palace gate, and when anyone arrived to file a legal complaint for a hearing before the king, Absalom would call to him and ask, "You're from what city?" If he replied, "Your servant is from one of Israel's tribes," |
| 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." | 3Absalom would respond, "Look, your claims are valid and defensible, but nobody will listen to you on behalf of the king. |
| 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." | 4Who will appoint me to be a judge in the land? When anyone arrived to file a legal complaint or other cause, he could approach me for justice and I would settle it!" |
| 5When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him. | 5Furthermore, if a man approached him to bow down in front of him, he would put out his hand, grab him, and embrace him. |
| 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. | 6By doing all of this to anyone who came to the king for a hearing, Absalom stole the loyalty of the men of Israel. |
| 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. | 7And so it was that forty years after Israel had demanded a king, Absalom asked the king, "Please let me go to Hebron so I can pay my vow that I made to the LORD, |
| 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.'" | 8because when I was living at Geshur in Aram, your servant made this solemn promise: 'If the LORD ever brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.'" |
| 9The king replied to him, "Go in peace." So Absalom got up and went to Hebron. | 9The king replied to him, "Go in peace!" So Absalom got up and left for 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." | 10But Absalom sent agents throughout all of the tribes of Israel, telling them, "When you hear the sound of the battle trumpet, you're to announce that Absalom is king in Hebron." |
| 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. | 11Meanwhile, 200 men left Jerusalem with Absalom. They had been invited to go along, but were innocent, not knowing anything about what was happening. |
| 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. | 12Absalom also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, to come from his home town of Giloh while Absalom was presenting the sacrificial offerings. And so the conspiracy widened, because the common people increasingly sided with Absalom. |
| 13Then a messenger came to David and reported, "The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!" | 13Then a messenger arrived to inform David, "The loyalties of the men of Israel have shifted to Absalom." |
| 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." | 14So David told all of his staff who were with him in Jerusalem, "Let's get up and get out of here! Otherwise, none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry, or he'll overtake us quickly, bring disaster on all of us, and execute the inhabitants of the city!" |
| 15The king's servants replied to the king, "We will do whatever our lord the king decides." | 15"Look!" the king's staff replied. "Your servants will do whatever the king chooses." |
| 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. | 16So the king left, taking his entire household with him except for ten mistresses, who were to keep the palace in order. |
| 17The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing at a spot some distance away. | 17The king left, along with all of his people with him, and they paused at the last house. |
| 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. | 18All of his staff were going on ahead of him—that is, all of the special forces and mercenaries, all of the Gittites, and 600 men who had come to serve him from Gath, went on ahead of the king. |
| 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. | 19Then the king suggested to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you have to go with us? Return and stay with the new king, since you're a foreigner and exile. Stay where you want to stay. |
| 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!" | 20It seems only yesterday that you arrived, so should I make you wander around with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your brothers with you. May gracious love and truth accompany you!" |
| 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!" | 21"As the LORD lives," Ittai answered in reply, "and as your majesty the king lives, wherever your majesty my king may be—whether living or dying—that's where your servant will be!" |
| 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. | 22So David replied, "Come along, then!" So Ittai the Gittite went along also, accompanied by all of his men and all of his little ones. |
| 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. | 23With all of the people in the territory crying loudly, everybody passed over the Kidron brook, along with the king. Then everyone headed out toward the road that leads to the wilderness. |
| 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. | 24Meanwhile, Zadok showed up also, along with all of the descendants of Levi with him, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God and Abiathar approached while all the people finished abandoning the city. |
| 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. | 25The king told Zadok, "Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I'm shown favor in the LORD's sight, then he'll bring me back again and show me both it and the place where it rests. |
| 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." | 26But if he should say something like 'I'm not pleased with you,' well then, here I am—let him do to me whatever seems right to him." |
| 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. | 27The king also asked Zadok the priest, "Aren't you a seer, too? Go back to the city in comfort, along with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan. |
| 28Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you reaches me." | 28Look! I'll camp at the wilderness fords until you send word to inform me." |
| 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there. | 29So Zadok and Abiathar returned the Ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there. |
| 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. | 30David then left, going up the Mount of Olives, crying as he went, with his head covered and his feet bare. All of the people who were with him covered their own heads and climbed up the Mount of Olives, crying as they went along. |
| 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!" | 31Just then, someone told David, "Ahithophel is one of Absalom's conspirators!" So David prayed, "LORD, please turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness." |
| 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. | 32Just as David was coming to the top of the Mount of Olives where God was being worshipped, there was Hushai the Archite to meet him, with his coat ripped and dust all over his head! |
| 33David said to him, "If you leave with me you will be a burden to me. | 33David greeted him, "If you come along with me, you'll be a burden to me. |
| 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.' | 34So go back to the city and tell Absalom, 'I'll be your servant, your majesty! Just as I served your father in the past, I can be your servant now.' That way you can manipulate Ahithophel's advice to my benefit. |
| 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. | 35Won't Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? So whatever you hear from the king's palace, you're to report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. |
| 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." | 36Their two sons—Zadok's son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan—are with them there. You'll be sending me everything that you hear through them." |
| 37So David's friend Hushai arrived in the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem. | 37So David's friend Hushai went back to the city just as Absalom was arriving in Jerusalem. |
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