2 Samuel 15-16

GOD’S WORD Translation

David Overthrown

15 Soon after this, Absalom acquired a chariot, horses, and 50 men to run ahead of him. ² Absalom used to get up early and stand by the road leading to the city gate. When anyone had a case to be tried by King David, Absalom would ask, “Which city are you from?”

After the person had told him which tribe in Israel he was from, ³ Absalom would say, “Your case is good and proper, but the king hasn’t appointed anyone to hear it.” ⁴ He would add, “I wish someone would make me judge in the land. Then anyone who had a case to be tried could come to me, and I would make sure that he got justice.” ⁵ When anyone approached him and bowed down, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. ⁶ This is what he did for all Israelites who came to the king to have him try their case. So Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

⁷ Four years later Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and keep the vow I made to the Lord. ⁸ I made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord will bring me back to Jerusalem, I will serve the Lord.’ ”

⁹ “Go in peace,” the king told him.

So he went to Hebron. ¹⁰ But Absalom sent his loyal supporters to all the tribes of Israel and said, “When you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’ ”

¹¹ Two hundred men invited from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They went innocently, knowing nothing ⌞about Absalom’s plans⌟. ¹² While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, David’s adviser, to come from his home in Giloh. Meanwhile, the conspiracy grew stronger, and the number of people siding with Absalom kept getting larger.

¹³ Someone came to tell David, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.”

David Flees Jerusalem

¹⁴ David told all his men who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let’s flee immediately, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Let’s leave right away, or he’ll catch up to us and bring disaster on us when he massacres the city.”

¹⁵ The king’s servants told him, “No matter what happens, we are Your Majesty’s servants.”

¹⁶ The king left on foot, and his whole household followed him except ten concubines ^[a] whom the king left behind to take care of the palace. ¹⁷ As the king and his troops were leaving the city on foot, they stopped at the last house. ¹⁸ All his mercenaries passed by him; all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, Ittai, and all 600 men who had followed him from Gath were marching past the king.

¹⁹ The king asked Ittai from Gath, “Why should you go with us? Go back, and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. ²⁰ You came to us just yesterday. Should I make you wander around with me when I don’t even know where I’m going? Go back, and take your countrymen with you. ⌞May the Lord⌟ always show you kindness.”

²¹ But Ittai answered the king, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord and the king live: Wherever you are, whether you’re dead or alive, I’ll be there.”

²² So David told Ittai, “Go ahead and keep marching.” So Ittai from Gath marched on with all his men and all the families who were with him.

²³ The whole country was crying loudly as all the troops were passing by. The king was crossing the Kidron Valley, and all the people were moving down the road toward the desert. ²⁴ Zadok and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of God’s promise. They set down the ark of God beside Abiathar until all the troops had withdrawn from the city.

²⁵ The king told Zadok, “Take God’s ark back to the city. If the Lord looks favorably on me, he will allow me to come back and see both it and its ^[b] dwelling place again. ²⁶ But if he says, ‘I’m not pleased with you,’ let him do to me what he considers right.”

²⁷ “Aren’t you a seer?” ^[c] the king asked Zadok the priest. “Go back to the city peacefully, and take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you. ²⁸ I’ll wait at the river crossings in the desert until I receive a message from you.” ²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

³⁰ David cried as he went up the Mount of Olives. He covered his head and walked barefoot. And all of the troops with him covered their heads and cried as they went.

³¹ Then David was told, “Ahithophel is among those conspiring with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, make Ahithophel’s advice foolish.”

³² When David came to the top ⌞of the Mount of Olives⌟ where people worshiped God, Hushai from Archi’s family was there to meet him. His clothes were torn, and he had dirt on his head. ³³ David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden to me. ³⁴ But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I’ll be your servant. I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I’ll be your servant,’ then you’ll ⌞help me by⌟ undoing Ahithophel’s advice. ³⁵ The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. When you hear anything from the royal palace, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. ³⁶ They have two sons with them: Zadok has Ahimaaz, and Abiathar has Jonathan. Send them to report to me anything you hear.”

³⁷ So Hushai, David’s friend, went to the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

16 When David had gone over the top ⌞of the Mount of Olives⌟, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met him with a pair of saddled donkeys. They were loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 pieces of ripened fruit, and a full wineskin.

² “Why did you bring these?” David asked Ziba.

“The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on,” Ziba answered. “The bread and the ripe fruit are for ⌞your⌟ servants to eat. The wine is for those who become tired and thirsty in the desert.”

³ “Where is your master Saul’s grandson?” the king asked.

“He’s staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba answered the king. “He said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’ ”

⁴ The king told Ziba, “In that case everything that belonged to Mephibosheth now belongs to you.”

“I sincerely thank you,” said Ziba. “I hope to remain in your good graces, Your Majesty.”

⁵ When King David came to Bahurim, a man who was a distant cousin of Saul came out cursing. His name was Shimei, son of Gera. ⁶ He threw stones at David and David’s servants, although all the people and all the warriors were shielding David. ⁷ Shimei cursed and said, “Get out! Get out, you bloodthirsty man! You worthless person! ⁸ The Lord is paying you back for all the blood you spilled in the family of Saul, whom you succeeded as king. The Lord is giving the kingship to your son Absalom. Now you’re in trouble because you’re a bloodthirsty man.”

⁹ Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, asked the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, Your Majesty? Let me go over there and tear off his head.”

¹⁰ But the king said, “You don’t think like me at all, sons of Zeruiah. Let him curse. If the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ should anyone ask, ‘Why do you do that?’ ” ¹¹ David told Abishai and all his servants, “My own son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. Why, then, shouldn’t this Benjaminite do this? Leave him alone. Let him curse, since the Lord has told him to do it. ¹² Maybe the Lord will see my misery and turn his curse into a blessing for me today.”

¹³ As David and his men went along the road, Shimei was walking along the hillside parallel to him. Shimei cursed, hurled stones, and threw dirt at David. ¹⁴ The king and all the people with him finally arrived ⌞at their destination⌟ and rested there.

Absalom Enters Jerusalem

¹⁵ Meanwhile, Absalom and all Israel’s troops came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. ¹⁶ When David’s friend Hushai from Archi’s family came to Absalom, he said, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷ “Is that how loyal you are to your friend?” Absalom asked Hushai. “Why didn’t you go with him?”

¹⁸ Hushai answered Absalom, “No, I want to be with the one whom the Lord, these people, and all Israel have chosen. I will be his ⌞friend⌟ and stay with him. ¹⁹ And besides, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t it be his son? As I served your father, so I’ll serve you.”

²⁰ Then Absalom asked Ahithophel, “What’s your advice? What should we do?”

²¹ Ahithophel told Absalom, “Sleep with your father’s concubines ^[d] whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear about how you have made your father despise you. Everyone who is with you will support you even more.”

²² So a tent was put up on the roof for Absalom, and he slept with his father’s concubines in plain sight of Israel.

²³ In those days both David and Absalom thought that Ahithophel’s advice was like getting an answer from God.