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2 S A MU EL 1 6
So Absalom went to Hebron. 10 But while he
was there, he sent secret messengers to all the
tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against
the king. “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,”
his message read, “you are to say, ‘Absalom
has been crowned king in Hebron.’” 11 He took
200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests,
but they knew nothing of his intentions.
12 While Absalom was offering the sacrifices,
he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also
joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained
momentum.
David Escapes from Jerusalem
13 A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell
David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”
14 “Then we must flee at once, or it will be too
late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get
out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we
and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from
disaster.”
15 “We are with you,” his advisers replied. “Do
what you think is best.”
16 So the king and all his household set out
at once. He left no one behind except ten of his
concubines to look after the palace. 17 The king
and all his people set out on foot, pausing at
the last house 18 to let all the king’s men move
past to lead the way. There were 600 men from
Gath who had come with David, along with the
king’s bodyguard.*
19 Then the king turned and said to Ittai,
a leader of the men from Gath, “Why are you
coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom,
for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile.
20 You arrived only recently, and should I force
you today to wander with us? I don’t even know
where we will go. Go on back and take your
kinsmen with you, and may the Lord show you
his unfailing love and faithfulness.*”
21 But Ittai said to the king, “I vow by the Lord
and by your own life that I will go wherever my
lord the king goes, no matter what happens—
whether it means life or death.”
22 David replied, “All right, come with us.”
So Ittai and all his men and their families went
along.
23 Everyone cried loudly as the king and his
followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron
Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.
24 Zadok and all the Levites also came along,
carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They
set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered
sacrifices* until everyone had passed out of
the city.
25 Then the king instructed Zadok to take the
Ark of God back into the city. “If the Lord sees
fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see
the Ark and the Tabernacle* again. 26 But if he
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is through with me, then let him do what seems
best to him.”
27 The king also told Zadok the priest, “Look,*
here is my plan. You and Abiathar* should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz
and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 I will stop at the
shallows of the Jordan River* and wait there for
a report from you.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar
took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed
there.
30 David walked up the road to the Mount of
Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered
their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.
31 When someone told David that his adviser
Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David
prayed, “O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom
foolish advice!”
32 When David reached the summit of the
Mount of Olives where people worshiped God,
Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him.
Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on
his head as a sign of mourning. 33 But David
told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a
burden. 34 Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom,
‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was
your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can
frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice. 35 Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell
them about the plans being made in the king’s
palace, 36 and they will send their sons Ahimaaz
and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.”
37 So David’s friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.
David and Ziba
When David had gone a little beyond
the summit of the Mount of Olives,
Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth,* was waiting there for him. He had two donkeys loaded
with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins,
100 bunches of summer fruit, and a wineskin
full of wine.
2 “What are these for?” the king asked Ziba.
Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s
people to ride on, and the bread and summer
fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine
is for those who become exhausted in the
wilderness.”
3 “And where is Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson?” the king asked him.
“He stayed in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied. “He
said, ‘Today I will get back the kingdom of my
grandfather Saul.’”
16
15:18 Hebrew the Kerethites and Pelethites. 15:20 As in Greek
version; Hebrew reads and may unfailing love and faithfulness
go with you. 15:24 Or Abiathar went up. 15:25 Hebrew
and his dwelling place. 15:27a As in Greek version; Hebrew
reads Are you a seer? or Do you see? 15:27b Hebrew lacks
and Abiathar; compare 15:29. 15:28 Hebrew at the crossing
points of the wilderness. 16:1 Mephibosheth is another name
for Merib-baal.