2Samuel:15-18
Seeker Overlay ON
*
And it came to pass after this ,
that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses ,
and fifty men to run before him .
*
And Absalom rose up early ,
and stood beside the way of the gate :
and it was so ,
that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment ,
then Absalom called unto him ,
and said ,
Of what city art thou ?
And he said ,
Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel .
*
And Absalom said unto him ,
See ,
thy matters are good and right ;
but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee .
*
Absalom said moreover ,
Oh that I were made judge in the land ,
that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me ,
and I would do him justice !
*
And it was so ,
that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance ,
he put forth his hand ,
and took him ,
and kissed him .
*
And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment :
so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel .
*
And it came to pass after forty years ,
that Absalom said unto the king ,
I pray thee ,
let me go and pay my vow ,
which I have vowed unto the LORD ,
in Hebron .
*
For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria ,
saying ,
If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem ,
then I will serve the LORD .
*
And the king said unto him ,
Go in peace .
So he arose ,
and went to Hebron .
*
But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel ,
saying ,
As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet ,
then ye shall say ,
Absalom reigneth in Hebron .
*
And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem ,
that were called ;
and they went in their simplicity ,
and they knew not any thing .
*
And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite ,
David '
s counsellor ,
from his city ,
even from Giloh ,
while he offered sacrifices .
And the conspiracy was strong ;
for the people increased continually with Absalom .
*
And there came a messenger to David ,
saying ,
The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom .
*
And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem ,
Arise ,
and let us flee ;
for we shall not else escape from Absalom :
make speed to depart ,
lest he overtake us suddenly ,
and bring evil upon us ,
and smite the city with the edge of the sword .
*
And the king '
s servants said unto the king ,
Behold ,
thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint .
*
And the king went forth ,
and all his household after him .
And the king left ten women ,
which were concubines ,
to keep the house .
*
And the king went forth ,
and all the people after him ,
and tarried in a place that was far off .
*
And all his servants passed on beside him ;
and all the Cherethites ,
and all the Pelethites ,
and all the Gittites ,
six hundred men which came after him from Gath ,
passed on before the king .
*
Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite ,
Wherefore goest thou also with us ?
return to thy place ,
and abide with the king :
for thou art a stranger ,
and also an exile .
*
Whereas thou camest but yesterday ,
should I this day make thee go up and down with us ?
seeing I go whither I may ,
return thou ,
and take back thy brethren :
mercy and truth be with thee .
*
And Ittai answered the king ,
and said ,
As the LORD liveth ,
and as my lord the king liveth ,
surely in what place my lord the king shall be ,
whether in death or life ,
even there also will thy servant be .
*
And David said to Ittai ,
Go and pass over .
And Ittai the Gittite passed over ,
and all his men ,
and all the little ones that were with him .
*
And all the country wept with a loud voice ,
and all the people passed over :
the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron ,
and all the people passed over ,
toward the way of the wilderness .
*
And lo Zadok also ,
and all the Levites were 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 done passing out of the city .
*
And the king said unto Zadok ,
Carry back the ark of God into the city :
if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD ,
he will bring me again ,
and shew me both it ,
and his habitation :
*
But if he thus say ,
I have no delight in thee ;
behold ,
here am I ,
let him do to me as seemeth good unto him .
*
The king said also unto Zadok the priest ,
Art not thou a seer ?
return into the city in peace ,
and your two sons with you ,
Ahimaaz thy son ,
and Jonathan the son of Abiathar .
*
See ,
I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness ,
until there come word from you to certify me .
*
Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem :
and they tarried there .
*
And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet ,
and wept as he went up ,
and had his head covered ,
and he went barefoot :
and all the people that was with him covered every man his head ,
and they went up ,
weeping as they went up .
*
And one told David ,
saying ,
Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom .
And David said ,
O LORD ,
I pray thee ,
turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness .
*
And it came to pass ,
that when David was come to the top of the mount ,
where he worshipped God ,
behold ,
Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent ,
and earth upon his head :
*
Unto whom David said ,
If thou passest on with me ,
then thou shalt be a burden unto me :
*
But if thou return to the city ,
and say unto Absalom ,
I will be thy servant ,
O king ;
as I have been thy father '
s servant hitherto ,
so will I now also be thy servant :
then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel .
*
And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests ?
therefore it shall be ,
that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king '
s house ,
thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests .
*
Behold ,
they have there with them their two sons ,
Ahimaaz Zadok '
s son ,
and Jonathan Abiathar '
s son ;
and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear .
*
So Hushai David '
s friend came into the city ,
and Absalom came into Jerusalem .
*
And when David was a little past the top of the hill ,
behold ,
Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him ,
with a couple of asses saddled ,
and upon them two hundred loaves of bread ,
and an hundred bunches of raisins ,
and an hundred of summer fruits ,
and a bottle of wine .
*
And the king said unto Ziba ,
What meanest thou by these ?
And Ziba said ,
The asses be for the king '
s household to ride on ;
and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat ;
and the wine ,
that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink .
*
And the king said ,
And where is thy master '
s son ?
And Ziba said unto the king ,
Behold ,
he abideth at Jerusalem :
for he said ,
To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father .
*
Then said the king to Ziba ,
Behold ,
thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth .
And Ziba said ,
I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight ,
my lord ,
O king .
*
And when king David came to Bahurim ,
behold ,
thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul ,
whose name was Shimei ,
the son of Gera :
he came forth ,
and cursed still as he came .
*
And he cast stones at David ,
and at all the servants of king David :
and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left .
*
And thus said Shimei when he cursed ,
Come out ,
come out ,
thou bloody man ,
and thou man of Belial :
*
The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul ,
in whose stead thou hast reigned ;
and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son :
and ,
behold ,
thou art taken in thy mischief ,
because thou art a bloody man .
*
Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king ,
Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king ?
let me go over ,
I pray thee ,
and take off his head .
*
And the king said ,
What have I to do with you ,
ye sons of Zeruiah ?
so let him curse ,
because the LORD hath said unto him ,
Curse David .
Who shall then say ,
Wherefore hast thou done so ?
*
And David said to Abishai ,
and to all his servants ,
Behold ,
my son ,
which came forth of my bowels ,
seeketh my life :
how much more now may this Benjamite do it ?
let him alone ,
and let him curse ;
for the LORD hath bidden him .
*
It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction ,
and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day .
*
And as David and his men went by the way ,
Shimei went along on the hill '
s side over against him ,
and cursed as he went ,
and threw stones at him ,
and cast dust .
*
And the king ,
and all the people that were with him ,
came weary ,
and refreshed themselves there .
*
And Absalom ,
and all the people the men of Israel ,
came to Jerusalem ,
and Ahithophel with him .
*
And it came to pass ,
when Hushai the Archite ,
David '
s friend ,
was come unto Absalom ,
that Hushai said unto Absalom ,
God save the king ,
God save the king .
*
And Absalom said to Hushai ,
Is this thy kindness to thy friend ?
why wentest thou not with thy friend ?
*
And Hushai said unto Absalom ,
Nay ;
but whom the LORD ,
and this people ,
and all the men of Israel ,
choose ,
his will I be ,
and with him will I abide .
*
And again ,
whom should I serve ?
should I not serve in the presence of his son ?
as I have served in thy father '
s presence ,
so will I be in thy presence .
*
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel ,
Give counsel among you what we shall do .
*
And Ahithophel said unto Absalom ,
Go in unto thy father '
s concubines ,
which he hath left to keep the house ;
and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father :
then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong .
*
So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house ;
and Absalom went in unto his father '
s concubines in the sight of all Israel .
*
And the counsel of Ahithophel ,
which he counselled in those days ,
was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God :
so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom .
*
Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom ,
Let me now choose out twelve thousand men ,
and I will arise and pursue after David this night :
*
And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed ,
and will make him afraid :
and all the people that are with him shall flee ;
and I will smite the king only :
*
And I will bring back all the people unto thee :
the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned :
so all the people shall be in peace .
*
And the saying pleased Absalom well ,
and all the elders of Israel .
*
Then said Absalom ,
Call now Hushai the Archite also ,
and let us hear likewise what he saith .
*
And when Hushai was come to Absalom ,
Absalom spake unto him ,
saying ,
Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner :
shall we do after his saying ?
if not ;
speak thou .
*
And Hushai said unto Absalom ,
The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time .
*
For ,
said Hushai ,
thou knowest thy father and his men ,
that they be mighty men ,
and they be chafed in their minds ,
as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field :
and thy father is a man of war ,
and will not lodge with the people .
*
Behold ,
he is hid now in some pit ,
or in some other place :
and it will come to pass ,
when some of them be overthrown at the first ,
that whosoever heareth it will say ,
There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom .
*
And he also that is valiant ,
whose heart is as the heart of a lion ,
shall utterly melt :
for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man ,
and they which be with him are valiant men .
*
Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee ,
from Dan even to Beersheba ,
as the sand that is by the sea for multitude ;
and that thou go to battle in thine own person .
*
So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found ,
and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground :
and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one .
*
Moreover ,
if he be gotten into a city ,
then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city ,
and we will draw it into the river ,
until there be not one small stone found there .
*
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said ,
The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel .
For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel ,
to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom .
*
Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests ,
Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel ;
and thus and thus have I counselled .
*
Now therefore send quickly ,
and tell David ,
saying ,
Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness ,
but speedily pass over ;
lest the king be swallowed up ,
and all the people that are with him .
*
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel ;
for they might not be seen to come into the city :
and a wench went and told them ;
and they went and told king David .
*
Nevertheless a lad saw them ,
and told Absalom :
but they went both of them away quickly ,
and came to a man '
s house in Bahurim ,
which had a well in his court ;
whither they went down .
*
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well '
s mouth ,
and spread ground corn thereon ;
and the thing was not known .
*
And when Absalom '
s servants came to the woman to the house ,
they said ,
Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan ?
And the woman said unto them ,
They be gone over the brook of water .
And when they had sought and could not find them ,
they returned to Jerusalem .
*
And it came to pass ,
after they were departed ,
that they came up out of the well ,
and went and told king David ,
and said unto David ,
Arise ,
and pass quickly over the water :
for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you .
*
Then David arose ,
and all the people that were with him ,
and they passed over Jordan :
by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan .
*
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed ,
he saddled his ass ,
and arose ,
and gat him home to his house ,
to his city ,
and put his household in order ,
and hanged himself ,
and died ,
and was buried in the sepulchre of his father .
*
Then David came to Mahanaim .
And Absalom passed over Jordan ,
he and all the men of Israel with him .
*
And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab :
which Amasa was a man '
s son ,
whose name was Ithra an Israelite ,
that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash ,
sister to Zeruiah Joab '
s mother .
*
So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead .
*
And it came to pass ,
when David was come to Mahanaim ,
that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon ,
and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar ,
and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim ,
*
Brought beds ,
and basons ,
and earthen vessels ,
and wheat ,
and barley ,
and flour ,
and parched corn ,
and beans ,
and lentiles ,
and parched pulse ,
*
And honey ,
and butter ,
and sheep ,
and cheese of kine ,
for David ,
and for the people that were with him ,
to eat :
for they said ,
The people is hungry ,
and weary ,
and thirsty ,
in the wilderness .
*
And David numbered the people that were with him ,
and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them .
*
And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab ,
and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah ,
Joab '
s brother ,
and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite .
And the king said unto the people ,
I will surely go forth with you myself also .
*
But the people answered ,
Thou shalt not go forth :
for if we flee away ,
they will not care for us ;
neither if half of us die ,
will they care for us :
but now thou art worth ten thousand of us :
therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city .
*
And the king said unto them ,
What seemeth you best I will do .
And the king stood by the gate side ,
and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands .
*
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai ,
saying ,
Deal gently for my sake with the young man ,
even with Absalom .
And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom .
*
So the people went out into the field against Israel :
and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim ;
*
Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David ,
and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men .
*
For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country :
and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured .
*
And Absalom met the servants of David .
And Absalom rode upon a mule ,
and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak ,
and his head caught hold of the oak ,
and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth ;
and the mule that was under him went away .
*
And a certain man saw it ,
and told Joab ,
and said ,
Behold ,
I saw Absalom hanged in an oak .
*
And Joab said unto the man that told him ,
And ,
behold ,
thou sawest him ,
and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground ?
and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver ,
and a girdle .
*
And the man said unto Joab ,
Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand ,
yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king '
s son :
for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai ,
saying ,
Beware that none touch the young man Absalom .
*
Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life :
for there is no matter hid from the king ,
and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me .
*
Then said Joab ,
I may not tarry thus with thee .
And he took three darts in his hand ,
and thrust them through the heart of Absalom ,
while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak .
*
And ten young men that bare Joab '
s armour compassed about and smote Absalom ,
and slew him .
*
And Joab blew the trumpet ,
and the people returned from pursuing after Israel :
for Joab held back the people .
*
And they took Absalom ,
and cast him into a great pit in the wood ,
and laid a very great heap of stones upon him :
and all Israel fled every one to his tent .
*
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar ,
which is in the king '
s dale :
for he said ,
I have no son to keep my name in remembrance :
and he called the pillar after his own name :
and it is called unto this day ,
Absalom '
s place .
*
Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok ,
Let me now run ,
and bear the king tidings ,
how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies .
*
And Joab said unto him ,
Thou shalt not bear tidings this day ,
but thou shalt bear tidings another day :
but this day thou shalt bear no tidings ,
because the king '
s son is dead .
*
Then said Joab to Cushi ,
Go tell the king what thou hast seen .
And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab ,
and ran .
*
Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab ,
But howsoever ,
let me ,
I pray thee ,
also run after Cushi .
And Joab said ,
Wherefore wilt thou run ,
my son ,
seeing that thou hast no tidings ready ?
*
But howsoever ,
said he ,
let me run .
And he said unto him ,
Run .
Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain ,
and overran Cushi .
*
And David sat between the two gates :
and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall ,
and lifted up his eyes ,
and looked ,
and behold a man running alone .
*
And the watchman cried ,
and told the king .
And the king said ,
If he be alone ,
there is tidings in his mouth .
And he came apace ,
and drew near .
*
And the watchman saw another man running :
and the watchman called unto the porter ,
and said ,
Behold another man running alone .
And the king said ,
He also bringeth tidings .
*
And the watchman said ,
Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok .
And the king said ,
He is a good man ,
and cometh with good tidings .
*
And Ahimaaz called ,
and said unto the king ,
All is well .
And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king ,
and said ,
Blessed be the LORD thy God ,
which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king .
*
And the king said ,
Is the young man Absalom safe ?
And Ahimaaz answered ,
When Joab sent the king '
s servant ,
and me thy servant ,
I saw a great tumult ,
but I knew not what it was .
*
And the king said unto him ,
Turn aside ,
and stand here .
And he turned aside ,
and stood still .
*
And ,
behold ,
Cushi came ;
and Cushi said ,
Tidings ,
my lord the king :
for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee .
*
And the king said unto Cushi ,
Is the young man Absalom safe ?
And Cushi answered ,
The enemies of my lord the king ,
and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt ,
be as that young man is .
*
And the king was much moved ,
and went up to the chamber over the gate ,
and wept :
and as he went ,
thus he said ,
O my son Absalom ,
my son ,
my son Absalom !
would God I had died for thee ,
O Absalom ,
my son ,
my son !
*
And it was told Joab ,
Behold ,
the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom .
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