⁷ Now it came about at the end of ^[a]four years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to the Lord, in ^(A)Hebron. ⁸ For your servant ^(B)made a vow while I was living in Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘^(C)If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’” ⁹ The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up and went to Hebron. ¹⁰ But Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘^(D)Absalom is king in Hebron!’” ¹¹ Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, ^(E)who were invited and ^(F)went ^[b]innocently, for they did not know anything. ¹² And Absalom sent for ^(G)Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city ^(H)Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for ^(I)the people continually increased with Absalom.