nkjv 2Samuel:15:13-37 SEEK
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Now a messenger came to David ,
saying , "
The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom ."
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So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem , "
Arise ,
and let us flee ,
or we shall not escape from Absalom .
Make haste to depart ,
lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us ,
and strike the city with the edge of the sword ."
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And the king '
s servants said to the king , "
We are your servants ,
ready to do whatever my lord the king commands ."
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Then the king went out with all his household after him .
But the king left ten women ,
concubines ,
to keep the house .
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And the king went out with all the people after him ,
and stopped at the outskirts .
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Then all his servants passed before him ;
and all the Cherethites ,
all the Pelethites ,
and all the Gittites ,
six hundred men who had followed him from Gath ,
passed before the king .
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Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite , "
Why are you also going with us ?
Return and remain with the king .
For you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place .
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In fact ,
you came only yesterday .
Should I make you wander up and down with us today ,
since I go I know not where ?
Return ,
and take your brethren back .
Mercy and truth be with you ."
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But Ittai answered the king and said , "
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 ,
even there also your servant will be ."
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So David said to Ittai , "
Go ,
and cross over ."
Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over .
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And all the country wept with a loud voice ,
and all the people crossed over .
The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron ,
and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness .
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There was Zadok also ,
and all the Levites with him ,
bearing the ark of the covenant of God .
And they set down the ark of God ,
and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city .
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Then 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 show me both it and His dwelling place .
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But if He says thus : "
I have no delight in you ,'
here I am ,
let Him do to me as seems good to Him ."
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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 the son of Abiathar .
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See ,
I will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me ."
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Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem .
And they remained there .
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So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives ,
and wept as he went up ;
and he had his head covered and went barefoot .
And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up ,
weeping as they went up .
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Then someone told David ,
saying , "
Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom ."
And David said , "
O LORD ,
I pray ,
turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness !"
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Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain ,
where he worshiped God--there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head .
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David said to him , "
If you go on with me ,
then you will become a burden to me .
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But if you return to the city ,
and say to Absalom , "
I will be your servant ,
O king ;
as I was your father '
s servant previously ,
so I will now also be your servant ,'
then you may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me .
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And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there ?
Therefore it will be that whatever you hear from the king '
s house ,
you shall tell to Zadok and Abiathar the priests .
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Indeed they have there with them their two sons ,
Ahimaaz ,
Zadok '
s son ,
and Jonathan ,
Abiathar '
s son ;
and by them you shall send me everything you hear ."
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So Hushai ,
David '
s friend ,
went into the city .
And Absalom came into Jerusalem .