ISV(i)
1 Absalom Instigates Civil WarSometime later, Absalom acquired a chariot equipped with horses and recruited 50 men to accompany him.
2 Then he would get up early, stand near the passageway to the palace gate, and when anyone arrived to file a legal complaint for a hearing before the king, Absalom would call to him and ask, “You’re from what city?” If he replied, “Your servant is from one of Israel’s tribes,”
3 Absalom would respond, “Look, your claims are valid and defensible, but nobody will listen to you on behalf of the king.
4 Who will appoint me to be a judge in the land? When anyone arrived to file a legal complaint or other cause, he could approach me for justice and I would settle it!”
5 Furthermore, if a man approached him to bow down in front of him, he would put out his hand, grab him, and embrace him.
6 By doing all of this to anyone who came to the king for a hearing, Absalom stole the loyalty of the men of Israel.
7 And so it was that forty years after Israel had demanded a king, Absalom asked the king, “Please let me go to Hebron so I can pay my vow that I made to the LORD, 8 because when I was living at Geshur in Aram, your servant made this solemn promise: ‘If the LORD ever brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.’”
9 The king replied to him, “Go in peace!” So Absalom got up and left for Hebron.
10 But Absalom sent agents throughout all of the tribes of Israel, telling them, “When you hear the sound of the battle trumpet, you’re to announce that Absalom is king in Hebron.” 11 Meanwhile, 200 men left Jerusalem with Absalom. They had been invited to go along, but were innocent, not knowing anything about what was happening. 12 Absalom also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his home town of Giloh while Absalom was presenting the sacrificial offerings. And so the conspiracy widened, because the common people increasingly sided with Absalom.
13David Flees from JerusalemThen a messenger arrived to inform David, “The loyalties of the men of Israel have shifted to Absalom.”
14 So David told all of his staff who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let’s get up and get out of here! Otherwise, none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry, or he’ll overtake us quickly, bring disaster on all of us, and execute the inhabitants of the city!”
15 “Look!” the king’s staff replied. “Your servants will do whatever the king chooses.” 16 So the king left, taking his entire household with him except for ten mistresses, who were to keep the palace in order. 17 The king left, along with all of his people with him, and they paused at the last house. 18 All of his staff were going on ahead of him—that is, all of the special forces and mercenaries, all of the Gittites, and 600 men who had come to serve him from Gath, went on ahead of the king.
19 Then the king suggested to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you have to go with us? Return and stay with the new king, since you’re a foreigner and exile. Stay where you want to stay. 20 It seems only yesterday that you arrived, so should I make you wander around with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your brothers with you. May gracious love and truth accompany you!”
7 And so it was that forty years after Israel had demanded a king, Absalom asked the king, “Please let me go to Hebron so I can pay my vow that I made to the LORD, 8 because when I was living at Geshur in Aram, your servant made this solemn promise: ‘If the LORD ever brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.’”
9 The king replied to him, “Go in peace!” So Absalom got up and left for Hebron.
10 But Absalom sent agents throughout all of the tribes of Israel, telling them, “When you hear the sound of the battle trumpet, you’re to announce that Absalom is king in Hebron.” 11 Meanwhile, 200 men left Jerusalem with Absalom. They had been invited to go along, but were innocent, not knowing anything about what was happening. 12 Absalom also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his home town of Giloh while Absalom was presenting the sacrificial offerings. And so the conspiracy widened, because the common people increasingly sided with Absalom.
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14 So David told all of his staff who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let’s get up and get out of here! Otherwise, none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry, or he’ll overtake us quickly, bring disaster on all of us, and execute the inhabitants of the city!”
15 “Look!” the king’s staff replied. “Your servants will do whatever the king chooses.” 16 So the king left, taking his entire household with him except for ten mistresses, who were to keep the palace in order. 17 The king left, along with all of his people with him, and they paused at the last house. 18 All of his staff were going on ahead of him—that is, all of the special forces and mercenaries, all of the Gittites, and 600 men who had come to serve him from Gath, went on ahead of the king.
19 Then the king suggested to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you have to go with us? Return and stay with the new king, since you’re a foreigner and exile. Stay where you want to stay. 20 It seems only yesterday that you arrived, so should I make you wander around with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your brothers with you. May gracious love and truth accompany you!”