II Samuel 15

vayehi me'akhare khen vayya'as lo avshalom merkavah vesusim vakhamishim ish ratsim lefanayw

Sometime afterward, Absalom provided himself with a chariot, horses, and fifty outrunners.

vehishkim avshalom ve'amad al-yad derekh hasha'ar vayehi kol-ha'ish asher-yihyeh-llo-riv lavo el-hammelekh lammishpat vayyiqra avshalom elayw vayyomer e-mizzeh ir attah vayyomer me'akhad shivte-yisra'el avdekha

Absalom used to rise early and stand by the road to the city gates; and whenever someone had a case that was to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out, “What town are you from?” And when the answer came, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe in Israel,”

vayyomer elayw avshalom re'eh devarekha tovim unekhokhim veshomea en-lekha me'et hammelekh

Absalom would say, “It is clear that your claim is right and just, but there is no one assigned to you by the king to hear it.”

vayyomer avshalom mi-yesimeni shofet ba'arets ve'alay yavo kol-ish asher-yihyeh-llo-riv umishpat vehitsdaqtiv

And Absalom went on, “If only I were appointed judge in the land and everyone with a legal dispute came before me, I would see that they got their rights.”

vehayah biqrov-ish lehishtakhavot lo veshalakh et-yado vehekheziq lo venashaq lo

And if a man approached to bow to him, [Absalom] would extend his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

vayya'as avshalom kaddavar hazzeh lekhol-yisra'el asher-yavo'u lammishpat el-hammelekh vayegannev avshalom et-lev anshe yisra'el

Absalom did this to every Israelite who came to the king for judgment. Thus Absalom won away the hearts of Israel’s citizens.

vayehi miqqets arba'im shanah vayyomer avshalom el-hammelekh elekhah na va'ashallem et-nidri asher-nadarti la-Adonai bekhevron

After a period of forty years had gone by, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow that I made to GOD.

ki-neder nadar avdekha beshivti vigshur ba'aram lemor im-[yashov] (yshyv) yeshiveni Adonai yerushalai͏m ve'avadti et-Adonai

For your servant made a vow when I lived in Geshur of Aram: If GOD ever brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship GOD.”

vayyomer-lo hammelekh lekh beshalom vayyaqom vayyelekh khevronah

The king said to him, “Go in peace”; and so he set out for Hebron.

vayyishlakh avshalom meraggelim bekhol-shivte yisra'el lemor keshomakhem et-qol hashofar va'amartem malakh avshalom bekhevron

But Absalom sent agents to all the tribes of Israel to say, “When you hear the blast of the horn, announce that Absalom has become king in Hebron.”

ve'et-avshalom halekhu matayim ish mirushalai͏m qeru'im veholekhim letummam velo yade'u kol-davar

Two hundred Jerusalemites accompanied Absalom; they were invited and went in good faith, suspecting nothing.

vayyishlakh avshalom et-akhitofel haggiloni yo'ets david me'iro miggiloh bezovkho et-hazzevakhim vayehi haqqesher ammits veha'am holekh varav et-avshalom

Absalom also sent [to fetch] Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his town, Giloh, when the sacrifices were to be offered. The conspiracy gained strength, and the people supported Absalom in increasing numbers.

vayyavo hammaggid el-david lemor hayah lev-ish yisra'el akhare avshalom

Someone came and told David, “The loyalty of Israel’s force has veered toward Absalom.”

vayyomer david lekhol-avadayw asher-itto virushalai͏m qumu venivrakhah ki lo-tihyeh-llanu feletah mippene avshalom maharu lalekhet pen-yemaher vehissiganu vehiddiakh alenu et-hara'ah vehikkah ha'ir lefi-kharev

Whereupon David said to all the courtiers who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let us flee at once, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must get away quickly, or he will soon overtake us and bring down disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”

vayyomeru avde-hammelekh el-hammelekh kekhol asher-yivkhar adoni hammelekh hinneh avadekha

The king’s courtiers said to the king, “Whatever our lord the king decides, your servants are ready.”

vayyetse hammelekh vekhol-beto beraglayw vayya'azov hammelekh et eser nashim pilagshim lishmor habbayit

So the king left, followed by his entire household, except for ten concubines whom the king left to mind the palace.

vayyetse hammelekh vekhol-ha'am beraglayw vayya'amdu bet hammerkhaq

The king left, followed by all the people, and they stopped at the last house.

vekhol-avadayw overim al-yado vekhol-hakkereti vekhol-happeleti vekhol-haggittim shesh-me'ot ish asher-ba'u veraglo miggat overim al-pene hammelekh

All his followers marched past him, including all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites; and all six hundred Gittites, who had accompanied him from Gath, also marched by the king.

vayyomer hammelekh el-ittay haggitti lammah telekh gam-attah ittanu shuv veshev im-hammelekh ki-nokhri attah vegam-goleh attah limqomekha

And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you too go with us? Go back and stay with the [new] king, for you are a foreigner and you are also an exile from your country.

temol bo'ekha vehayyom (nvkh) [ani'akha] immanu lalekhet va'ani holekh al asher-ani holekh shuv vehashev et-akhekha immakh khesed ve'emet

You came only yesterday; should I make you wander about with us today, when I myself must go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kin with you, [in] true faithfulness.”

vayya'an ittay et-hammelekh vayyomar khay-Adonai vekhe adoni hammelekh ki (m) bimqom asher yihyeh-sham adoni hammelekh im-lemavet im-lekhayyim ki-sham yihyeh avdekha

Ittai replied to the king, “As GOD lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, there your servant will be, whether for death or for life!”

vayyomer david el-ittay lekh va'avor vayya'avor ittay haggitti vekhol-anashayw vekhol-hattaf asher itto

And David said to Ittai, “Then march by.” And Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the dependents who were with him marched by.

vekhol-ha'arets bokhim qol gadol vekhol-ha'am overim vehammelekh over benakhal qidron vekhol-ha'am overim al-pene-derekh et-hammidbar

The whole countryside wept aloud as the troops marched by. The king crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the troops crossed by the road to the wilderness.

vehinneh gam-tsadoq vekhol-haleviyyim itto nose'im et-aron berit ha'elohim vayyatsiqu et-aron ha'elohim vayya'al evyatar ad-tom kol-ha'am la'avor min-ha'ir

Then Zadok appeared, with all the Levites carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God; and they set down the Ark of God until all the people had finished marching out of the city. Abiathar also came up.

vayyomer hammelekh letsadoq hashev et-aron ha'elohim ha'ir im-emtsa khen be'ene Adonai veheshivani vehirani oto ve'et-navehu

But the king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I find favor with GOD, I will be brought back to see it and its abode.

ve'im koh yomar lo khafatsti bakh hinni ya'aseh-lli ka'asher tov be'enayw

And if [God] should say, ‘I do not want you,’ I am ready; I accept what [God] deems right.”

vayyomer hammelekh el-tsadoq hakkohen haro'eh attah shuvah ha'ir beshalom va'akhima'ats binkha vihonatan ben-evyatar shene venekhem ittekhem

And the king said to the priest Zadok, “Do you understand? You return to the safety of the city with your two sons, your own son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan.

re'u anokhi mitmahmeah (vvrvt) [be'arvot] hammidbar ad bo davar me'immakhem lehaggid li

Look, I shall linger in the steppes of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

vayyashev tsadoq ve'evyatar et-aron ha'elohim yerushalai͏m vayyeshevu sham

Zadok and Abiathar brought the Ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they stayed there.

vedavid oleh vema'aleh hazzetim oleh uvokheh verosh lo khafuy vehu holekh yakhef vekhol-ha'am asher-itto khafu ish rosho ve'alu aloh uvakhoh

David meanwhile went up the slope of the [Mount of] Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he walked barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they went up.

vedavid higgid lemor akhitofel baqqosherim im-avshalom vayyomer david sakkel-na et-atsat akhitofel Adonai

David [was] told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom, and he prayed, “Please, O GOD, frustrate Ahithophel’s counsel!”

vayehi david ba ad-harosh asher-yishtakhaveh sham lelohim vehinneh liqrato khushay ha'arki qarua kuttonto va'adamah al-rosho

When David reached the top, where people would prostrate themselves to God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him, with his robe torn and with earth on his head.

vayyomer lo david im avarta itti vehayita alay lemassa

David said to him, “If you march on with me, you will be a burden to me.

ve'im-ha'ir tashuv ve'amarta le'avshalom avdekha ani hammelekh ehyeh eved avikha va'ani me'az ve'attah va'ani avdekha vehefartah li et atsat akhitofel

But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; I was your father’s servant formerly, and now I will be yours,’ then you can nullify Ahithophel’s counsel for me.

vahalo immekha sham tsadoq ve'evyatar hakkohanim vehayah kol-haddavar asher tishma mibbet hammelekh taggid letsadoq ule'evyatar hakkohanim

You will have the priests Zadok and Abiathar there, and you can report everything that you hear in the king’s palace to the priests Zadok and Abiathar.

hinneh-sham immam shene venehem akhima'ats letsadoq vihonatan le'evyatar ushelakhtem beyadam elay kol-davar asher tishma'u

Also, their two sons are there with them, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan; and through them you can report to me everything you hear.”

vayyavo khushay re'eh david ha'ir ve'avshalom yavo yerushalai͏m

And so Hushai, the friend of David, reached the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.