Then the king answered and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, anything that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.

And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken, for

Thy servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. And my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an agent of God, to know all things that are on the earth.

And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.

And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and did obeisance, and blessed the king. And Joab said, Today thy servant knows that I have found favor in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his serva

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and did not see the king's face.

And when he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it, because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.

And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of a fair countenance.

And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and he did not see the king's face.

Then Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. And he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

Therefore he said to his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, Why have thy servants set my field on fire?

And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come here, that I may send thee to the king to say, Why have I come from Geshur? It were better for me to still be there. Now therefore let me see the king's face, and if t

So Joab came to the king, and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared for him a chariot 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 had a suit which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him, and said, Of what city are thou? And he said, Thy

And Absalom said to him, See, thy matters are good and right, but there is no man appointed by the king to hear thee.

Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any suit or case might come to me, and I would do for him justice!

And it was so, that, when any man came near to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.

And on this manner Absalom did to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Absalom said to the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to LORD, in Hebron.

And the king said to him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.

And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem who were invited, and went in their simplicity. And they did not know anything.

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the 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 to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee, for otherwise none of us shall escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smit

And the king's servants said to the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king shall choose.

And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house.

And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and they remained in Beth-merhak.

And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do thou also go with us? Return, and abide with the king, for thou are a foreigner, and also an exile. [Return] to thine own place.

Whereas thou came but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go where I may? Return thou, and take back thy brothers. Mercy and truth be with thee.

And Ittai answered the king, and said, As LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there thy servant will also 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 himself also passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness.

And, lo, Zadok also [came], 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 passing out of the city.

And the king said to Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find favor in the eyes of LORD he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation.

The king said also to Zadok the priest, Are thou [not] a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem, and they abode there.

And 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 every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they we

And it was 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 came to the top [of the ascent], where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and dirt upon his head.

And David said to him, If thou pass on with me, then thou will be a burden to me,

but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king. As I have been thy father's servant in time past, so I will now be thy servant, then thou will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

And have thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? Therefore it shall be, that whatever thing thou shall hear out of the king's house, thou shall 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 to me everything that ye shall 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 ascent], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and a hundre

And the king said to Ziba, What do thou mean by these? And Ziba said, The donkeys are 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 are faint in the wildern

And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he abides at Jerusalem, for he said, Today the house of Israel will restore for me the kingdom of my father.

Then the king said to Ziba, Behold, all that pertains to Mephibosheth is thine. And Ziba said, I do obeisance. Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, O king.

And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out, cursing 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, Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow.

LORD has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul in whose stead thou have reigned. And LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son, and, behold, thou are [taken] in thine own mischief because thou

Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to 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? Because he curses, and because LORD has said to him, Curse David, who then shall say, Why have thou done so?

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeks my life. How much more [may] this Benjamite now [do it]? Let him alone, and let him curse, for LORD has bidden him.

It may be that LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that LORD will reward me good for [his] cursing of me this day.

So David and his men went by the way, and Shimei went along on the hill-side opposite him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

And the king, and all the people who were with him, came weary, and he refreshed himself 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, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, Live, O king. Live, O king.

And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why did thou not go with thy friend?

And Hushai said to Absalom, No, but whom LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him I will abide.

And again, whom should I serve? [Is it] not in the presence of his son? As I have served in thy father's presence, so I will be in thy presence.

And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to thy father's concubines that he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that thou are abhorred by thy father. Then the hands of all who are with thee will be strong.

So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the oracle of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

Moreover Ahithophel said to 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 who are with him shall flee. And I will only smite the king,

and I will bring back all the people to thee. The man whom thou seek 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 Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he says.

And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner. Shall we do [after] his saying? If not, speak thou.

And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.

Hushai said moreover, Thou know thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are 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 are fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.

And even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.

But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to 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 we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and of all the men who are with him we will not leave so much as one.

Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then all Israel shall 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 LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that LORD might bring evil upon A

Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled.

Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Do not lodge this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En-rogel. And a maid-servant used to go and tell them, and they went and told king David, for they might not be seen to come into the city.

But a lad saw them, and told Absalom. And they went away quickly, both of them, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim who had a well in his court, and they went down there.

And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground grain on it. And nothing was known.

And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they return

And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David. And they said to David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water, for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.

Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them who was not gone over the Jordan.

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, and arose, and got home to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself. And he died, and was buried in the sepulcher of his father.

Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

And Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

And it came to pass, when David came to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and roasted [grain], and beans, and lentils, and roasted [pulse],

and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people who were with him, to eat. For they said, The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

And David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.