Absalom’s Conspiracy 1 ULT And it happened after this that Absalom made for himself a chariot and horses and 50 men running to his face. BSB BSB: Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.
2 ULT And Absalom would arise early, and he would stand at the hand of the way of the gate. And it happened,{ when} any man to whom was a dispute came to the king for judgment, then Absalom would call to him, and he would say,“Where from this city{ are} you?” And he would say,“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 ULT Then Absalom would say to him,“See, your matter{ is} good and right, but there is not a hearer for you from with the king.” BSB BSB: Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”
4 ULT And Absalom would say,“Who will appoint me a judge in the land, that every person to whom was a dispute and a judgment would come to me, and I would do 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 ULT And it happened, when a man approached to prostrate himself to him, that he would stretch 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 ULT And Absalom acted according to this matter for all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. And Absalom stole the heart 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 ULT And it happened at the end of 40 years that Absalom said to the king,“Please may I go, and may I fulfill in Hebron my vow that I vowed to Yahweh. 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 ULT For your servant vowed a vow when I was living in Geshur in Aram, saying,‘If bringing back, Yahweh brings me back{ to} Jerusalem, then I will serve 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 ULT And the king said to him,“Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. BSB BSB: “Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.
10 ULT Then Absalom sent spies among all of the tribes of Israel, saying,“When you hear the sound of the shofar, then you shall say,‘Absalom reigns 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 ULT Now 200 men from Jerusalem had gone with Absalom, called and walking in their innocence, and they did not know any of the matter. 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 ULT And Absalom sent{ for} Ahithophel the Gilonite, the counselor of David, from his city, from Giloh, while he sacrificed the sacrifices. And it happened, the conspiracy{ became} strong, and the people were going and many with Absalom. 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 ULT And a declarer came to David, saying,“The heart of a man of Israel{ is} behind Absalom.” BSB BSB: Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
14 ULT And David said to all of his servants who{ were} with him in Jerusalem,“Arise, and let us flee, for there will not be for us an escape from the face of Absalom. Hurry to go, lest he hurry and overtake us and bring harm upon us and strike the city to the mouth 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 ULT And the servants of the king said to the king,“According to all that my lord the king chooses, behold your servants.” BSB BSB: The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”
16 ULT And the king went out, and all of his house{ was} at his feet. And the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house. 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 ULT And the king went out, and all of the people{ were} at his feet. And they stopped{ at} the farthest house. BSB BSB: So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,
18 ULT And all of his servants were passing by at his hand. And all of the Cherethites and all of the Pelethites and all of the Gittites, the 600 men who had come at his foot from Gath, were passing by to the face of the king. 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 ULT But the king said to Ittai the Gittite,“Why are you also going with us? Return and dwell with the king, for you{ are} a foreigner and you{ are} also an exile to your 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 ULT Yesterday{ was} your coming, and today shall I make you wander with us to go, when I am going upon where I am going? Return, and make your brothers return.{ May} kindness and faithfulness{ be} 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 ULT But Ittai answered the king and said,“The life of Yahweh and the life of my lord the king, surely in the place where my lord the king will be there, whether to death, whether to life, that there your servant shall be.” 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 ULT And David said to Ittai,“Go and pass by.” So Ittai the Gittite passed by, and all of his men and all of the little{ ones} 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 ULT And all of the land was weeping{ with} a great voice, and all of the people were crossing, and the king was crossing, over the Valley of Kidron, and all of the people were crossing to the face of the way of 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 ULT And behold, Zadok and all of the Levites with him were also carrying the Box of the Covenant of God. And they set down the Box of God, but Abiathar went up until all of the people had finished passing from 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 ULT And the king said to Zadok,“Bring back the Box of God{ to} the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yahweh, then he will bring me back, and he will make me see it and his habitation. 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 ULT But if he says thus,‘I do not delight in you,’ behold me, may he do to me just as{ is} good in his eyes.” 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 ULT And the king said to Zadok the priest,“Are you seeing? Return{ to} the city in peace, and Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons, with you. 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 ULT See, I will be waiting at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to declare to me.” BSB BSB: See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
29 ULT So Zadok and Abiathar brought the Box of God back{ to} 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 ULT And David was going up onto the Mount of Olives, going up and weeping, and his head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all of the people who{ were} with him covered, a man his head, and they went up, going up and weeping. 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 ULT And{ to} David one declared, saying,“Ahithophel{ is} among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said,“Please, Yahweh, make foolish the counsel of Ahithophel.” 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 ULT And it happened, David came to the top, where one would prostrate himself to God there, and behold, meeting him{ was} Hushai the Archite. His robe was torn, and dirt{ was} 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 ULT And David said to him,“If you pass along with me, you will become a burden to me. BSB BSB: David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.
34 ULT But if you return{ to} the city and say to Absalom,‘I{ am} your servant, O king. I was the servant of your father, and{ as} I{ was} previously, and now, so I{ will be} your servant,’ then you will break up the counsel of Ahithophel 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 ULT { Will} not Zadok and Abiathar the priests{ be} with you there? And may it be, every word that you hear from the house of the king, declare to Zadok and to 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 ULT Behold, with them there{ are} the two of their sons, Ahimaaz to Zadok and Jonathan to Abiathar. And you shall send to me by their hand every word 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 ULT So Hushai the friend of David came{ to} the city. And Absalom came{ to} 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.