Absalom’s Conspiracy 1 UEB It came about after this that Absalom prepared a chariot and horses for himself, with fifty men to run before him. BSB BSB: Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.
2 UEB Absalom would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. When any man had a dispute to come to the king for judgment, Absalom called to him and said, "From what city have you come?" Then the man would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." BSB BSB: He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”
3 UEB So Absalom would say to him, "Look, your case is good and right, but there is no one empowered by the king to hear your case." BSB BSB: Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”
4 UEB Absalom added, "I wish that I were made judge in the land, so that every man who had any dispute or cause might come to me, and I would bring him justice!" BSB BSB: And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.”
5 UEB So it came about that when any man came to Absalom to honor him, Absalom would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. BSB BSB: Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.
6 UEB Absalom acted in this way to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. BSB BSB: Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 UEB It came about at the end of four years that Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay a vow that I have made to Yahweh in Hebron. BSB BSB: After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.
8 UEB For your servant made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying,' If Yahweh will indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will worship Yahweh.'" BSB BSB: For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”
9 UEB So the king said to him, "Go in peace." So Absalom arose and went to Hebron. BSB BSB: “Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.
10 UEB But then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you must say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'" BSB BSB: Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”
11 UEB With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem, who were invited. They went in their innocence, not knowing anything that Absalom had planned. BSB BSB: Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.
12 UEB While Absalom offered sacrfices, he sent for Ahithophel from his hometown of Giloh. He was David's counselor. Absalom's conspiracy was strong, for the people following Absalom were constantly increasing. BSB BSB: While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.
David Flees Jerusalem (Psalm 3:1–8)
13 UEB A messenger came to David saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are following after Absalom." BSB BSB: Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
14 UEB So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise and let us flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Prepare to leave immediately, or he will quickly overtake us, and he will bring down disaster on us and attack the city with the edge of the sword." BSB BSB: And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.”
15 UEB The king's servants said to the king, "Look, your servants are ready to do whatever our master the king decides." BSB BSB: The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”
16 UEB The king left and all his family after him, but the king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the palace. BSB BSB: Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.
17 UEB After the king went out and all the people after him, they stopped at the last house. BSB BSB: So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,
18 UEB All his army marched with him, and before him went all the Kerethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites—six hundred men who had followed him from Gath. BSB BSB: and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.
19 UEB Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why will you come with us? Return and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and an exile. Return to your own place. BSB BSB: Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.
20 UEB Since you just left yesterday, why should I make you wander all over with us? I do not even know where I am going. So return and take your fellow countrymen back. May loyalty and faithfulness go with you." BSB BSB: In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.”
21 UEB But Ittai answered the king and said, "As Yahweh lives, and as my master the king lives, surely in whatever place where my master the king goes, there also will your servant go, whether that means living or dying." BSB BSB: But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”
22 UEB So David said to Ittai, "Go ahead and continue with us." So Ittai the Gittite marched with the king, along with all his men and all the families who were with him. BSB BSB: “March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
23 UEB All the country wept with a loud voice as all the people passed by over the Kidron Valley, and as the king also himself crossed over. All the people traveled on the road toward the wilderness. BSB BSB: Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.
24 UEB Even Zadok with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God, were present. They set the ark of God down, and then Abiathar joined them. They waited until all the people had passed by out of the city. BSB BSB: Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had passed out of the city.
25 UEB The king said to Zadok, "Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yahweh, he will bring me back here and show me again the ark and the place where he lives. BSB BSB: Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again.
26 UEB But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' look, here am I, let him do to me whatever seems good to him." BSB BSB: But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.”
27 UEB The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar. BSB BSB: The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan.
28 UEB See, I will wait at the fords of the Arabah until word comes from you to inform me." BSB BSB: See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
29 UEB So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back into Jerusalem, and they stayed there. BSB BSB: So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.
David Weeps at the Mount of Olives (Psalm 63:1–11)
30 UEB But David ascended barefoot and weeping up the Mount of Olives, and he had his head covered. Every man of the people who were with him covered his head, and they went up weeping as they walked. BSB BSB: But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
31 UEB Someone told David saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "O Yahweh, please turn Ahithophel's advice into foolishness." BSB BSB: Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
32 UEB It came about that when David arrived at the top of the road, where God used to be worshiped, Hushai the Arkite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth on his head. BSB BSB: When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.
33 UEB David said to him, "If you travel with me, then you will be a burden to me. BSB BSB: David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.
34 UEB But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, king, as I have been your father's servant in time past, so will I now be your servant,' then you will confuse Ahithophel's advice for me. BSB BSB: But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’
35 UEB Will you not have the priests Zadok and Abiathar with you? So whatever you hear in the king's palace, you must tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. BSB BSB: Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace.
36 UEB See that they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. You must send to me by their hand everything that you hear." BSB BSB: Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”
37 UEB So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city as Absalom arrived and entered into Jerusalem. BSB BSB: So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.