1And over time, Absalom prepared chariots and horses for himself, and fifty men to run before him. 2And Absalom arose early, and stood along the road to the city gate; and when anyone was coming before the king for judgment of a dispute, Absalom would call out to him, “What city are you from?” And if he said, “I am from one of the tribes of Israel,” 3And Absalom would tell him, “See, your claims are valid and just; but there is no one appointed by the king to hear your case.” 4And then he would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, so that everyone with any suit or cause might come to me, and I would do him justice!” 5And so it was, that when any man came near to him to bow down to him, he put out his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him. 6This is what Absalom did to all Israelites coming to the king for judgment; and so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7And after four years, Absalom said to the king, “If you please, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron. 8For I vowed this vow while I stayed at Geshur in Syria: ‘If the LORD shall bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.’” 9And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron. 10But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When as you hear the trumpet sound, then you shall shout, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron.’” 11And two hundred men, who were invited, left Jerusalem with Absalom in their innocence, not knowing anything. 12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel, the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city of Giloh, while he was offering sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong; for people continued to join with Absalom.

13And when a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”, 14David told all his officials who were with him at Jerusalem, “Come, we must flee; or none of us shall escape from Absalom. We must move immediately, or he will overtake us suddenly, and bring ruin upon us, and assault the city with the sword.” 15And the king's officials said to the king, “Look, your servants are ready to do whatever the king chooses.” 16And the king set out, with all his household, except ten concubines, that he left to keep the house. 17And so David, and those with him, began their departure from the city; and paused at the edge of the city, 18To let all his men move to the head and lead the way, along with all the Cherethites, the Pelethites (bodyguards), and six hundred Gittites, men who had accompanied him from Gath, all going ahead of the king. 19Then the king said to Ittai, the Gittite, “Why do you want to go with us? Return to your place, and stay with the king (Absalom); for you are a foreigner, and an exile. 20Since you came just yesterday, should I force you to wander about with us, when I do not know where I may go. Return and take your people with you; mercy and truth be with you.” 21And Ittai answered, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord, the king, lives, surely in whatever place my lord, the king, shall be, whether in death or life, there will I, your servant, also be.” 22And David said to Ittai, “All right, come with us.” And Ittai, the Gittite, and all his men, and the little ones who were with him, came along. 23And all the people of the countryside they passed through wept aloud, as the king and all those with him marched on, and crossed over the brook Kidron, toward the wilderness.

24And Zadok was there, also, with all the Levites that carried the ark of the covenant of God: and they set the ark of God down; and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had gotten out of the city. 25And the king told Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I shall find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me again, and let me see both it, and its Tabernacle again. 26But if God says, ‘I have no delight in you’; behold, here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.” 27David also said to Zadok, the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return now to the city in peace. Take with you your son, Ahimaaz, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son. 28I will wait in the fords of the Jordan of the wilderness for a report from you.” 29So, Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem; and stayed there. 30And David continued his ascent up Mount Olivet, and wept as he went, with his head covered, and walking barefoot; and all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31And someone had told David, “Ahithophel has joined the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O LORD, I pray You, turn the advice of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

32And when David had reached the summit of Mount Olivet, where people worshipped God, Hushai, the Archite, came to meet him with his coat torn, and dust on his head. 33And David said to him, “If you come with me, you shall be a burden to me, 34But if you return to the city, and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; just as I have served your father up until now.’; then you can help me by defeating the counsel of Ahithophel. 35And will you not have Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, there with you? Tell those two priests whatever plans you hear coming out of the king's (Absalom’s) house. 36They will have with them their two sons - Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and you shall send anything you hear to me by them.” 37So Hushai, David's friend, returned to the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.