| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. | 1In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. |
| 2And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” | 2He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?" He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." |
| 3Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” | 3Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you." |
| 4Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” | 4And Absalom would add, "If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice." |
| 5And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. | 5Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. |
| 6Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. | 6Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel. |
| 7And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron. | 7At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the LORD. |
| 8For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the LORD.’” | 8While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: 'If the LORD takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.'" |
| 9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. | 9The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he went to Hebron. |
| 10But 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!’” | 10Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'" |
| 11With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. | 11Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. |
| 12And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing. | 12While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom's following kept on increasing. |
| 13And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” | 13A messenger came and told David, "The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom." |
| 14Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” | 14Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, "Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword." |
| 15And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” | 15The king's officials answered him, "Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses." |
| 16So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. | 16The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. |
| 17And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house. | 17So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. |
| 18And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king. | 18All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king. |
| 19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. | 19The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. |
| 20You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” | 20You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the LORD show you kindness and faithfulness." |
| 21But 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 for life, there also will your servant be.” | 21But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be." |
| 22And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. | 22David said to Ittai, "Go ahead, march on." So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him. |
| 23And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness. | 23The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness. |
| 24And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. | 24Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city. |
| 25Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. | 25Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. |
| 26But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” | 26But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him." |
| 27The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. | 27The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar's son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons. |
| 28See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” | 28I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." |
| 29So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there. | 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there. |
| 30But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. | 30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. |
| 31And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” | 31Now David had been told, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness." |
| 32While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. | 32When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. |
| 33David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. | 33David said to him, "If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. |
| 34But 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 time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. | 34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father's servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,' then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel's advice. |
| 35Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. | 35Won't the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king's palace. |
| 36Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” | 36Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear." |
| 37So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem. | 37So Hushai, David's confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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