Absalom’s Conspiracy 1 UST Soon afterwards, Absalom got a chariot and horses to pull it. He hired 50 men to run in front of him while he was riding around Jerusalem in the chariot. BSB BSB: Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.
2 UST And Absalom would also go and stand by the city gate starting early each morning. When a person came toward the gate so they could go into the city and ask the king to decide a case for him, Absalom would call out to him. He would ask what city he was from. Then the person would tell him what{ city and} tribe he was from. 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 UST Then Absalom would{ ask the person about his case} and tell him,“It certainly seems to me that you deserve to win your case. But the king{ is not able to decide everyone’ s case, and he} has not appointed anyone else to judge cases for people like you.” BSB BSB: Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”
4 UST Absalom would then add,“I should really be a judge for all the Israelites. That way anyone who had a legal case could come to me, and I would decide it fairly.” 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 UST And whenever anyone approached Absalom and started to bow respectfully in front of him, Absalom would reach out and hold him up and kiss him on the cheek. 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 UST Absalom acted this way toward every Israelite who came to King David to ask him to judge a case. As a result, the Israelites began to wish that Absalom were their king instead of David. 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 UST After four years, Absalom went to King David and said,“I made a promise to Yahweh. Please allow me to go to the city of Hebron so that I can do what I promised. 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 UST I ask this because when I was living in Geshur, in Aram, I promised Yahweh that if he made it possible for me to return to Jerusalem, then I would worship him in Hebron{ and thank him publicly}.” 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 UST The king replied,“You have my permission to go.” So Absalom went to Hebron. BSB BSB: “Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.
10 UST But while he was there, he secretly sent messengers throughout the territory of all the tribes of Israel. The messengers told people,“When you hear the sound of people blowing rams’ horns, shout,‘Absalom has become the king at 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 UST There were 200 men who came from Jerusalem to Hebron with Absalom. But they came because he had invited them to the feast he was going to host there. They were not part of his conspiracy. They knew nothing about what he was planning to do. 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 UST King David had an advisor whose name was Ahithophel the Gilonite. While Absalom was offering sacrifices at Hebron, he sent messengers to bring Ahithophel from his home in the city of Giloh. Many other people also came and joined Absalom{ in his rebellion against David}. 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 UST Then someone came to David and warned him,“The Israelites now want Absalom to be their king!” BSB BSB: Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
14 UST So David told all the officials in his royal court,“We must leave immediately if we want to escape from Absalom! We must go quickly, before he and his men arrive. If we do not do that, they will kill us and everyone else in the city!” 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 UST The king’ s officials replied,“Very well, your Majesty, we are ready to do whatever you wish.” BSB BSB: The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”
16 UST So King David quickly left Jerusalem. His family and officials went with him. But David left ten of his secondary wives at the palace to take care of it. 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 UST Many of the people of Jerusalem also left the city with King David. They stopped at the edge of the city{ to organize an orderly retreat}. BSB BSB: So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,
18 UST David stepped out of the roadway so that his officials could walk past him. He also let his elite corps of bodyguards go in front of him{ to lead the way}. The 600 men who had been David’ s soldiers when he fled to the city of Gath also walked by in front of him. 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 UST Then David said to Ittai{, a military commander who had come} from Gath{ to serve David},“You do not need to come with us. You may safely return to Jerusalem and serve whoever is the king. After all, you are not an Israelite, and this is not your own country{, so people will consider you to be impartial}. 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 UST You have lived here in Israel for only a short time. And we do not even know where we will be going. So it is not right for me to make you come with us now and wander around with us. Please return to your country and take your troops with you. May people treat you kindly and be loyal to 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 UST But Ittai replied,“Your Majesty, I swear by Yahweh and I swear by your own life that I will go wherever you go. I will fight to defend you even if I have to die doing that.” 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 UST David replied to Ittai,“Very well, please come with us!” So Ittai and all his troops and their families went with David. 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 UST All the people who lived along the road cried loudly when they saw King David and the people with him walking by.{ Since Absalom would be coming from the southwest,} the king and the others crossed the Kidron Valley and then went up the hill on the road that goes through the desolate area{ east of Jerusalem}. 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 UST Zadok the high priest had also left the city. He had brought the sacred chest of God. Some Levites were with him, and they were carrying it. But they{ did not carry it across the Kidron Valley right away. Instead, they} set it on the ground. Abiathar, the other high priest, went up{ the Mount of Olives on the other side of the valley and stood there} until all of the people fleeing from Jerusalem had gone by{, and then he came back down to where the sacred chest was}. 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 UST Then the king told Zadok,“I want you to take the sacred chest back into Jerusalem. If Yahweh chooses to be kind to me, someday he will allow me to return and see the sacred chest in the place where he is especially present. 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 UST But if he says that he is not pleased with me, then I am willing for him to do to me whatever he thinks is right.” 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 UST He also told Zadok,“Now listen to what I want you to do. Go back to the city peacefully. Take your son Ahimaaz with you. Abiathar should also take his son Jonathan, and you should both go back. 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 UST This will be the plan. I will wait in the wilderness at the place where people can walk across the Jordan River until you send a message to me{ telling me what I should do}.” BSB BSB: See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
29 UST So Zadok and Abiathar carried the sacred chest back to Jerusalem, and they remained in the city. 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 UST Then David walked up the Mount of Olives. He was crying as he walked. To show that he was very sad, he covered his head{ with part of his cloak}. He also took off his sandals. All the people who were walking with him also covered their heads, and they too cried while 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 UST Then someone told David that Ahithophel had joined the Israelites who were rebelling against David and supporting Absalom as their king. So David prayed,“Yahweh, please make Ahithophel give Absalom bad advice!” 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 UST When they arrived at the top of the hill, where there was a place where people worshiped God, David unexpectedly met Hushai the Archite. To show that he was very sad, Hushai had torn his clothes and put dirt 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 UST David said to him,“If you come with me, you will make us travel more slowly. BSB BSB: David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.
34 UST But if you return to the city, you can help me by telling Absalom,‘Your Majesty, I will be your advisor. In the past, I was your father’ s advisor. But just as I advised him then, so I will advise you now.’ If you do that, you will be able to help me by countering any good advice that Ahithophel gives to Absalom. 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 UST Zadok and Abiathar the priests are already there. Whatever you hear people say in the king’ s palace, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar. 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 UST Keep in mind that Zadok’ s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’ s son Jonathan are there. Whatever any of you find out, send them to report it to me.” 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 UST So David’ s friend Hushai returned to the city. He arrived just as Absalom was entering 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.