1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

2 Samuel 15

1 Absalom, by fair speeches and courtesies, stealeth the hearts of Israel. 7 Under pretence of a vow he obtaineth leave to go to Hebron. 10 He maketh there a great conspiracy. 13 David upon the news fleeth from Jerusalem. 19 Ittai would not leave him. 24 Zadok and Abiathar are sent back with the Ark. 30 David and his company go up mount Olivet weeping. 31 He curseth Ahithophel's counsel. 32 Hushai is sent back with instructions.

 15:1 Now it came 1961 about after 4480 310 this 3651 that Absalom 53 provided 6213a for himself a chariot 4818 and horses 5483b and fifty 2572 men 376 as runners 7323 before 6440 him.

 15:2 Absalom 53 used to rise 7925 early 7925 and stand 5975 beside 5921 3027 the way 1870 to the gate 8179; and when any 3605 man 376 had 1961 a suit 7379 to come 935 to the king 4428 for judgment 4941, Absalom 53 would call 7121 to him and say 559, “From what 2088 335 city 5892b are you?” And he would say 559, “Your servant 5650 is from one 259 of the tribes 7626 of Israel 3478.”

 15:3 Then Absalom 53 would say 559 to him, “See 7200, your claims 1697 are good 2896a and right 5228, but no 369 man listens 8085 to you on the part 4480 854 of the king 4428.”

 15:4 Moreover, Absalom 53 would say 559, “Oh 4310 that one would appoint 7760 me judge 8199 in the land 776, then every 3605 man 376 who 834 has 1961 any suit 7379 or cause 4941 could come 935 to me and I would give 6663 him justice 6663.”

 15:5 And when a man 376 came 7126 near 7126 to prostrate 7812 himself before him, he would put 7971 out his hand 3027 and take 2388 hold 2388 of him and kiss 5401a him.

 15:6 In this 2088 manner 1697 Absalom 53 dealt 6213a with all 3605 Israel 3478 who 834 came 935 to the king 4428 for judgment 4941; so Absalom 53 stole 1589 away 1589 the hearts 3820 of the men 376 of Israel 3478.

 15:7 ¶ Now it came 1961 about at the end 7093 of forty 705 years 8141 that Absalom 53 said 559 to the king 4428, “Please 4994 let me go 1980 and pay 7999a my vow 5088 which 834 I have vowed 5087 to the LORD 3068, in Hebron 2275a.

 15:8 “For your servant 5650 vowed 5087 a vow 5088 while I was living 3427 at Geshur 1650 in Aram 758, saying 559, ‘If 518 the LORD 3068 shall indeed 7725 bring 7725 me back 7725 to Jerusalem 3389, then I will serve 5647 the LORD 3068.’”

 15:9 The king 4428 said 559 to him, “Go 1980 in peace 7965.” So he arose 6965 and went 1980 to Hebron 2275a.

 15:10 But Absalom 53 sent 7971 spies 7270 throughout all 3605 the tribes 7626 of Israel 3478, saying 559, “As soon as you hear 8085 the sound 6963 of the trumpet 7782, then you shall say 559, ‘Absalom 53 is king 4427a in Hebron 2275a.’”

 15:11 Then two hundred 3967 men 376 went 1980 with Absalom 53 from Jerusalem 3389, who were invited 7121 and went 1980 innocently 8537, and they did not know 3045 anything 3605 1697.

 15:12 And Absalom 53 sent 7971 for Ahithophel 302 the Gilonite 1526, David’s 1732 counselor 3289, from his city 5892b Giloh 1542, while he was offering 2076 the sacrifices 2077. And the conspiracy 7195 was strong 533, for the people 5971a increased 7227a continually 1980 with Absalom 53.

 15:13 ¶ Then a messenger 5046 came 935 to David 1732, saying 559, “The hearts 3820 of the men 376 of Israel 3478 are with Absalom 53.”

 15:14 David 1732 said 559 to all 3605 his servants 5650 who 834 were with him at Jerusalem 3389, “Arise 6965 and let us flee 1272, for [otherwise] none 3808 of us will escape 6413 from Absalom 53. Go 1980 in haste 4116, or 6435 he will overtake 5381 us quickly 4116 and bring 5080 down 5080 calamity 7463a on us and strike 5221 the city 5892b with the edge 6310 of the sword 2719.”

 15:15 Then the king’s 4428 servants 5650 said 559 to the king 4428, “Behold 2009, your servants 5650 [are ready to do] whatever 3605 834 my lord 113 the king 4428 chooses 977.”

 15:16 So the king 4428 went 3318 out and all 3605 his household 1004 with him. But the king 4428 left 5800a ten 6235 concubines 6370 to keep 8104 the house 1004.

 15:17 The king 4428 went 3318 out and all 3605 the people 5971a with him, and they stopped 5975 at the last 4801 house 1004.

 15:18 Now all 3605 his servants 5650 passed 5674a on beside 5921 3027 him, all 3605 the Cherethites 3774, all 3605 the Pelethites 6432 and all 3605 the Gittites 1663, six 8337a hundred 3967 men 376 who 834 had come 935 with him from Gath 1661, passed 5674a on before 6440 the king 4428.

 15:19 ¶ Then the king 4428 said 559 to Ittai 863a the Gittite 1663, “Why 4100 will you also 1571 go 1980 with us? Return 7725 and remain 3427 with the king 4428, for you are a foreigner 5237 and also 1571 an exile 1540; [return] to your own place 4725.

 15:20 “You came 935 [only] yesterday 8543, and shall I today 3117 make you wander 5128 with us, while I go 1980 where 5921 834 I will? Return 7725 and take 7725 back 7725 your brothers 251; mercy 2617a and truth 571 be with you.”

 15:21 But Ittai 863a answered 6030a the king 4428 and said 559, “As the LORD 3068 lives 2416a, and as my lord 113 the king 4428 lives 2416a, surely 3588 518 wherever 4725 834 8033 my lord 113 the king 4428 may be, whether 518 for death 4194 or 518 for life 2425b, there 8033 also 3588 your servant 5650 will be.”

 15:22 Therefore David 1732 said 559 to Ittai 863a, “Go 1980 and pass 5674a over 5674a.” So Ittai 863a the Gittite 1663 passed 5674a over 5674a with all 3605 his men 376 and all 3605 the little 2945 ones 2945 who 834 [were] with him.

 15:23 While all 3605 the country 776 was weeping 1058 with a loud 1419 voice 6963, all 3605 the people 5971a passed 5674a over 5674a. The king 4428 also passed 5674a over 5674a the brook 5158a Kidron 6939, and all 3605 the people 5971a passed 5674a over 5674a toward 5921 6440 the way 1870 of the wilderness 4057b.

 15:24 ¶ Now behold 2009, Zadok 6659 also 1571 [came], and all 3605 the Levites 3881 with him carrying 5375 the ark 727 of the covenant 1285 of God 430. And they set 3332 down 3332 the ark 727 of God 430, and Abiathar 54 came 5927 up until 5704 all 3605 the people 5971a had finished 8552 passing 5674a from the city 5892b.

 15:25 The king 4428 said 559 to Zadok 6659, “Return 7725 the ark 727 of God 430 to the city 5892b. If 518 I find 4672 favor 2580 in the sight 5869 of the LORD 3068, then He will bring 7725 me back 7725 again and show 7200 me both it and His habitation 5116a.

 15:26 “But if 518 He should say 559 thus 3541, ‘I have 2654a no 3808 delight 2654a in you,’ behold 2009, here I am, let Him do 6213a to me as seems good 2895 to Him.”

 15:27 The king 4428 said 559 also to Zadok 6659 the priest 3548, “Are you [not] a seer 7203a? Return 7725 to the city 5892b in peace 7965 and your two 8147 sons 1121 with you, your son 1121 Ahimaaz 290 and Jonathan 3083 the son 1121 of Abiathar 54.

 15:28 “See 7200, I am going to wait 4102 at the fords 5679 of the wilderness 4057b until 5704 word 1697 comes 935 from you to inform 5046 me.”

 15:29 Therefore Zadok 6659 and Abiathar 54 returned 7725 the ark 727 of God 430 to Jerusalem 3389 and remained 3427 there 8033.

 15:30 ¶ And David 1732 went 5927 up the ascent 4608 of the [Mount of] Olives 2132, and wept 1058 as he went 5927, and his head 7218 was covered 2645 and he walked 1980 barefoot 3182. Then all 3605 the people 5971a who 834 were with him each 376 covered 2645 his head 7218 and went 5927 up weeping 1058 as they went 5927.

 15:31 Now someone told 5046 David 1732, saying 559, “Ahithophel 302 is among the conspirators 7194 with Absalom 53.” And David 1732 said 559, “O LORD 3068, I pray 4994, make 5528 the counsel 6098 of Ahithophel 302 foolishness 5528.”

 15:32 ¶ It happened 1961 as David 1732 was coming 935 to the summit 7218, where 834 8033 God 430 was worshiped 7812, that behold 2009, Hushai 2365 the Archite 757 met 7122 him with his coat 3801 torn 7167 and dust 127 on his head 7218.

 15:33 David 1732 said 559 to him, “If 518 you pass 5674a over 5674a with me, then you will be a burden 4853a to me.

 15:34 “But if 518 you return 7725 to the city 5892b, and say 559 to Absalom 53, ‘I will be your servant 5650, O king 4428; as I have been 1961 your father’s 1 servant 5650 in time 227 past 3975b, so I will now 6258 be your servant 5650,’ then you can thwart 6565a the counsel 6098 of Ahithophel 302 for me.

 15:35 “Are not Zadok 6659 and Abiathar 54 the priests 3548 with you there 8033? So it shall be that whatever 3605 1697 834 you hear 8085 from the king’s 4428 house 1004, you shall report 5046 to Zadok 6659 and Abiathar 54 the priests 3548.

 15:36 “Behold 2009 their two 8147 sons 1121 are with them there 8033, Ahimaaz 290, Zadok’s 6659 son and Jonathan 3083, Abiathar’s 54 son; and by them you shall send 7971 me everything 3605 that you hear 8085.”

 15:37 So Hushai 2365, David’s 1732 friend 7463b, came 935 into the city 5892b, and Absalom 53 came 935 into Jerusalem 3389.