Study Desk

Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run ahead of him.

And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road to the gate; and when any man who had a lawsuit was to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him and say, "From what city are you?" And he would say, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel."

Absalom dealt this way with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

"For your servant made a vow while I was living in Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.'"

Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently, for they did not know anything.

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people continually increased with Absalom.

So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, "Arise and let's flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go quickly, or he will hurry and overtake us, and bring disaster on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword."

But Ittai answered the king and said, "As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there assuredly shall your servant be!"

"But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; even as I was your father's servant in time past, so now I will also be your servant,' then you can foil the advice of Ahithophel for me.

And the king said to Ziba, "Why do you have these?" And Ziba said, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is weary in the wilderness to drink."

Then the king said, "And where is your master's son?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.'"

"The LORD has brought back upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have become king; and the LORD has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. And behold, you are caught in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!"

Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my son who came out of my own body seeks my life; how much more now this Benjaminite? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him.

So Hushai said to Absalom, "No! For whomever the LORD, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I shall be, and with him I shall remain.

So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom had relations with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

"And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely despair; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel." For the LORD had ordained to foil the good advice of Ahithophel, in order for the LORD to bring disaster on Absalom.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a female servant would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not allow themselves to be seen entering the city.

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

But the people said, "You should not go out; for if in fact we flee, they will not care about us; and if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you will be ready to help us from the city."