1 GLT And it happened after thus, and Absalom made for himself a chariot and horses. And 50 men were 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 GLT And Absalom would rise early, and he would stand beside the hand of the way of the gate. And it happened, each person that a dispute belonged to him to come to the king for judgment, and Absalom called to him, and he said,“From which 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 GLT And Absalom would say to him,“See, your word{ is} good and straight, but there is not for you someone who will listen 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 GLT And Absalom would say,“Who will appoint me{ as} judge in the land that every person that a dispute or case belongs to him would come to me, and I could declare him to be righteous.” 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 GLT And it was, when a person would draw near to prostrate himself to him that he would send out his hand, and he would take hold of it, and he would kiss it. 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 GLT And Absalom acted according to this word for all Israel who came for judgment to the king. 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 GLT And it happened at the end of four years, and Absalom said to the king,“Please, let me go, and I will fulfill my vow that I vowed 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 GLT For your servant vowed a vow when I lived in Geshur in Aram, saying,‘If Yahweh will certainly bring me{ 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 GLT And the king said to him,“Go in peace.” And he got up, and he went to Hebron. BSB BSB: “Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.
10 GLT And Absalom sent people who would spy on all the tribes of Israel, saying,“When you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you will 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 GLT And with Absalom went 200 men from Jerusalem who were called and who walked in their blamelessness, and they did not know{ the} whole 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 GLT And Absalom sent Ahithophel the Gilohite, the person who counseled David, from his city, from Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. And it happened, the conspiracy{ was} strong, and the people were walking and increasingly 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.
13 GLT And the person who declared to David came, saying,“The heart of the 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 GLT And David said to all his servants who{ were} with him in Jerusalem,“Get up, and let us flee, for there will not be for us an escape from before the face of Absalom. Hurry to leave lest he hurry and overtake us and swing on us a disaster 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 GLT And the servants of the king said to the king,“According to everything that my lord the king chooses, look— your servants.” BSB BSB: The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”
16 GLT And the king went out and all his family{ were} at his feet. And the king left 10 women, concubines, to guard 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 GLT And the king went out and all the people{ were} at his feet. And they stood{ at} the furthest house. BSB BSB: So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,
18 GLT And all his servants were crossing over beside his hand, and all the Kerethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites(600 men who came on his foot from Gath) were crossing over 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 GLT And the king said to Ittai the Gittite,“Why are you yourself also coming with us? Return and live with the king, for you{ are} a foreigner, and also you{ are} 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 GLT Yesterday{ was} your coming, but today{ will} I make you wander about with us by going? But I am going because I am going. Return and make your brothers return with you— kindness and faithfulness.” 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 GLT And Ittai answered the king, and he said,“{ By} the life of Yahweh and{ by} the life of my lord the king, surely in the place where my lord the king will be there, whether to death or to life, that there your servant will 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 GLT And David said to Ittai,“Go and cross over.” And Ittai the Gittite crossed over and all his men and all the little children 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 GLT And the whole land was weeping{ with} a great voice, and all the people were crossing, and the king was crossing the river of Kidron, and all the people were crossing the desert by the face of the way. 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 GLT And look— even Zadok and all the Levites with him were lifting the Box of the Covenant of God, and they set down the Box of God, and Abiathar came up until all the people had finished crossing 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 GLT And the king said to Zadok,“Make the Box of God return{ to} the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yahweh, then he will make me return, and he will make me see it and his dwelling place. 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 GLT But if thus he says,‘I am not pleased with you,’ look at me— he will 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 GLT And the king said to Zadok the priest,“{ Are} you a person who sees? 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 GLT See, I am hesitating at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from with 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 GLT And Zadok and Abiathar returned the Box of God{ to} Jerusalem, and they stayed there. BSB BSB: So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 GLT And David was going up on the Mount of Olives, going up and weeping, and a head for him was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people who{ were} with him, each one, covered 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 GLT And David declared, saying,“Ahithophel{ is} among the people who are conspiring with Absalom.” And David prayed,“Please, Yahweh, make the counsel of Ahithophel 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 GLT And it happened, David came up to the top where he would prostrate himself there to God, and look— meeting him{ was} Hushai the Archite. His tunic 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 GLT And David said to him,“If you cross 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 GLT But if you return{ to} the city, and you say to Absalom,‘I{ am} your servant, O king. I was the servant of your father, and I, previously. But now, and I{ will be} your servant,’ then you will foil 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 GLT { Are} not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? But it will 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 GLT Look, there with them{ are} the two of their sons, Ahimaaz{ belonging} to Zadok and Jonathan{ belonging} to Abiathar. And you will send by their hand to me 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 GLT And 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.