After this, Absalom acquired for himself a chariot, horses, and fifty men to run ahead of him.

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

Absalom would rise early and stand beside the road to the gate. Whenever a man came with a dispute to bring before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and ask, 'Which city are you from?' And the man would answer, 'Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.'

And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

Then Absalom would say to him, 'Look, your claims are good and valid, but there is no one appointed by the king to hear you.'

And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.

And Absalom would add, 'If only I were appointed judge in the land, then every man who has a dispute or case could come to me, and I would ensure he receives justice.'

Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!

Whenever a man approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him.

And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.

Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king for judgment, and he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

At the end of forty years, Absalom said to the king, 'Please allow me to go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I made to the LORD.'

And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron.

For your servant made a vow while I was living in Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD.’

For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.

The king said to him, 'Go in peace.' So he got up and went to Hebron.

And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.

Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel with this message: 'As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, say, “Absalom is king in Hebron!”'

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited and went innocently, unaware of anything.

And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.

While he was offering the sacrifices, Absalom also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his hometown of Giloh. And the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

Then a messenger came to David and reported, 'The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.'

And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, 'Arise, let us flee, or there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Hurry and leave, or he will quickly overtake us, bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.'

And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

The king’s servants replied to him, 'Your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.'

And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.

So the king set out, and all his household followed him on foot. But the king left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.

And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.

The king went out with all the people following him, and they stopped at a place some distance away.

And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.

All his servants passed by him, along with all the Kerethites, Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had come with him from Gath, marching past in front of the king.

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

The king said to Ittai the Gittite, 'Why should you go with us too? Go back and stay with the new king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.'

Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.

‘You only came yesterday, so why should I make you wander with us today? I must go wherever I can. Return and take your brothers with you. May kindness and faithfulness be with you.’

Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.

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 for death or for life—there your servant will be.'

And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.

David said to Ittai, 'Go ahead, cross over.' So Ittai the Gittite and all his men and their families crossed over with him.

And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

The whole countryside wept aloud as the king and all the people passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley, and the people moved on toward the wilderness.

And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.

Behold, Zadok was there too, and with him were all the Levites carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing out of the city.

And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.

Then the king said to Zadok, 'Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I find favor in the LORD’s eyes, He will bring me back and let me see it and its dwelling place again.'

And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation:

'But if He says, “I have no delight in you,” here I am—let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.'

But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.

The king also said to Zadok the priest, 'Do you not see? Go back to the city in peace, with your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you.'

The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

'Look, I will wait in the wilderness plains until I receive a message from you to tell me what to do.'

See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.

So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

David continued up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. All the people with him also covered their heads and were weeping as they went up.

And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

Then someone told David, 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.' So David prayed, 'O LORD, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.'

And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

When David reached the summit where he worshiped God, Hushai the Archite met him. His robe was torn, and there was dirt on his head.

And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:

David said to him, 'If you come with me, you will be a burden to me.'

Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me:

'But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, “Your servant will serve you, O king; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,” then you can thwart Ahithophel’s advice for me.'

But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

'Aren’t Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you? Whatever you hear in the king’s palace, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.'

And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

Look, their two sons, Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send me everything you hear through them.

Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.

So Hushai, David's friend, arrived in the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.