1 After this, Absalom prepared a chariot
and horses for himself, and fifty men to
run before him.

2 Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate. When any man
had a suit which should come to the king
for judgment, then Absalom called to him,
and said, “What city are you from?”
He said, “Your servant is of one of the
tribes of Israel.”

3 Absalom said to him, “Behold, your
matters are good and right; but there is no
man deputized by the king to hear you.”

4 Absalom said moreover, “Oh that I
were made judge in the land, that every
man who has any suit or cause might come
to me, and I would do him justice!”

5 It was so,that when any man camenear
to bow down to him, he stretched out his
hand, took hold of him, and kissed him.

6 Absalom did this sort of thing to all
Israel who came to the king for judgment.
So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of
Israel.

7 At the end of forty years, Absalom said
to the king, “Please let me go and pay my
vow, which I have vowed to Yahweh, in
Hebron.

8 For your servant vowed a vow while
I stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If
Yahweh shall indeed bring me again to
Jerusalem, then I will serve Yahweh.’ ”

9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.”
So he arose and went to Hebron.

10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all
the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you
hear the sound of the trumpet, then you
shall say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!’ ”

11 Two hundred men went with Absalom
out of Jerusalem, who were invited, and
went in their simplicity; and they didn’t
know anything.

12 Absalom sent for Ahithophel the
Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city,
even from Giloh, while he was offering
the sacrifices. The conspiracy was strong,
for the people increased continually with
Absalom.

13 A messenger came to David, saying,
“The hearts of the men of Israel are after
Absalom.”

14 David said to all his servants who were
with him at Jerusalem, “Arise! Let’s flee,
or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry to depart, lest he overtake us
quickly and bring down evil on us, and
strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

15 The king’s servants said to the king,
“Behold, your servants are ready to do
whatever my lord the king chooses.”

16 The king went out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women,
who were concubines, to keep the house.

17 The king went out, and all the people
after him; and they stayed in Beth Merhak.

18 All his servants passed on beside
him; and all the Cherethites, and all the
Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath,
passed on before the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite,
“Why do you also go with us? Return, and
stay with the king; for you are a foreigner
and also an exile. Return to your own
place.