1 A nd it cometh to pass afterwards, that Absalom prepareth for himself a chariot, and horses, and fifty men are running before him;

After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2 a nd Absalom hath risen early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate, and it cometh to pass, every man who hath a pleading to come unto the king for judgment, that Absalom calleth unto him, and saith, `Of what city thou?' and he saith, `Of one of the tribes of Israel thy servant.'

And rose up early and stood beside the gateway; and when any man who had a controversy came to the king for judgment, Absalom called to him, Of what city are you? And he would say, Your servant is of such and such a tribe of Israel.

3 A nd Absalom saith unto him, `See, thy matters good and straightforward -- and there is none hearkening to thee from the king.'

Absalom would say to him, Your claims are good and right, but there is no man appointed as the king’s agent to hear you.

4 A nd Absalom saith, `Who doth make me a judge in the land, that unto me doth come every man who hath a plea and judgment? -- then I have declared him righteous.'

Absalom added, Oh, that I were judge in the land! Then every man with any suit or cause might come to me and I would do him justice!

5 A nd it hath come to pass, in the drawing nearing of any one to bow himself to him, that he hath put forth his hand, and laid hold on him, and given a kiss to him;

And whenever a man came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.

6 a nd Absalom doth according to this thing to all Israel who come in for judgment unto the king, and Absalom stealeth the heart of the men of Israel.

Thus Absalom did to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 A nd it cometh to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom saith unto the king, `Let me go, I pray thee, and I complete my vow, that I vowed to Jehovah in Hebron,

And after years, Absalom said to the king, I pray you, let me go to Hebron and pay my vow to the Lord.

8 f or a vow hath thy servant vowed in my dwelling in Geshur, in Aram, saying, If Jehovah doth certainly bring me back to Jerusalem, then I have served Jehovah.'

For your servant vowed while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, If the Lord will bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.

9 A nd the king saith to him, `Go in peace;' and he riseth and goeth to Hebron,

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

10 a nd Absalom sendeth spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, `At your hearing the voice of the trumpet, then ye have said, Absalom hath reigned in Hebron.'

But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, Absalom is king at Hebron.

11 A nd with Absalom have gone two hundred men, out of Jerusalem, invited ones, and they are going in their simplicity, and have not known anything;

With Absalom went 200 men from Jerusalem, who were invited; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not a thing.

12 a nd Absalom sendeth Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counsellor of David, out of his city, out of Gilo, in his sacrificing sacrifices; and the conspiracy is strong, and the people are going and increasing with Absalom.

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

13 A nd he who is declaring tidings cometh in unto David, saying, `The heart of the men of Israel hath been after Absalom.'

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

14 A nd David saith to all his servants who with him in Jerusalem, `Rise, and we flee, for we have no escape from the face of Absalom; haste to go, lest he hasten, and have overtaken us, and forced on us evil, and smitten the city by the mouth of the sword.'

David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise and let us flee, or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and smite the city with the sword.

15 A nd the servants of the king say unto the king, `According to all that my lord the king chooseth -- lo, thy servants.'

And the king’s servants said to the king, Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king says.

16 A nd the king goeth out, and all his household at his feet, and the king leaveth ten women -- concubines -- to keep the house.

So the king and all his household after him went forth. But he left ten women who were concubines to keep the house.

17 A nd the king goeth out, and all the people at his feet, and they stand still at the farthest off house.

The king went forth with all the people after him, and halted at the last house.

18 A nd all his servants are passing on at his side, and all the Cherethite, and all the Pelethite, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his feet from Gath, are passing on at the front of the king.

All David’s servants passed on beside him, along with all the Cherethites, Pelethites; also all the Gittites, 600 men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

19 A nd the king saith unto Ittai the Gittite, `Why dost thou go -- thou also -- with us? turn back -- and abide with the king, for thou a stranger, and also an exile thou -- to thy place.

The king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do you go with us also? Return to your place and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and an exile.

20 Y esterday thy coming in, and to-day I move thee to go with us, and I am going on that which I am going! -- turn back, and take back thy brethren with thee, -- kindness and truth.'

Since you came only yesterday, should I make you go up and down with us? Since I must go where I may, you return, and take back your brethren with you. May loving-kindness and faithfulness be with you.

21 A nd Ittai answereth the king and saith, `Jehovah liveth, and my lord the king liveth, surely in the place where my lord the king is -- if for death, if for life, surely there is thy servant.'

But Ittai answered the king, As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or life, even there also will your servant be.

22 A nd David saith unto Ittai, `Go and pass over;' and Ittai the Gittite passeth over, and all his men, and all the infants who with him.

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

23 A nd all the land are weeping -- a great voice, and all the people are passing over; and the king is passing over through the brook Kidron, and all the people are passing over on the front of the way of the wilderness;

All the country wept with a loud voice as all the people passed over. The king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people went on toward the wilderness.

24 a nd lo, also Zadok, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they make the ark of God firm, and Abiathar goeth up, till the completion of all the people to pass over out of the city.

Abiathar and behold, Zadok came also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until all the people had gone from the city.

25 A nd the king saith to Zadok, `Take back the ark of God to the city; if I find grace in the eyes of Jehovah, then He hath brought me back, and shewn me it and His habitation;

Then the king told Zadok, Take back the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His house.

26 a nd if thus He say, I have not delighted in thee; here I, He doth to me as good in His eyes.'

But if He says, I have no delight in you, then here I am; let Him do to me what seems good to Him.

27 A nd the king saith unto Zadok the priest, `Art thou a seer? turn back to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar, your two sons with you;

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

28 s ee ye, I am tarrying in the plains of the wilderness till the coming in of a word from you to declare to me.'

See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.

29 A nd Zadok taketh back -- and Abiathar -- the ark of God to Jerusalem, and they abide there.

Zadok, therefore, and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem and they stayed there.

30 A nd David is going up in the ascent of the olives, going up and weeping, and he hath the head covered, and he is going barefooted, and all the people who with him have covered each his head, and have gone up, going up and weeping;

And David went up over the Mount of Olives and wept as he went, barefoot and his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, weeping as they went.

31 a nd David declared, saying, `Ahithophel among the conspirators with Absalom;' and David saith, `Make foolish, I pray Thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Jehovah.'

David was told, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, O Lord, I pray You, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.

32 A nd it cometh to pass, David hath come unto the top, where he boweth himself to God, and lo, to meet him Hushai the Archite, his coat rent, and earth on his head;

When David came to the summit, where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head.

33 a nd David saith to him, `If thou hast passed on with me then thou hast been on me for a burden,

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

34 a nd if to the city thou dost turn back, and hast said to Absalom, Thy servant I am, O king; servant of thy father I also hitherto, and now, I also thy servant; then thou hast made void for me the counsel of Ahithophel;

But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 a nd are there not with thee there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it hath been, the whole of the matter that thou hearest from the house of the king thou dost declare to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests.

Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, just tell it to.

36 L o, there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz to Zadok, and Jonathan to Abiathar, and ye have sent by their hand unto me anything that ye hear.'

Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them send to me everything you hear.

37 A nd Hushai, David's friend, cometh in to the city, and Absalom cometh in to Jerusalem.

So Hushai, David’s friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem.