The Koine Bible

And it happened after these things, and Absalom made for himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.

And Absalom rose early and stood beside the way of the gate, and it came to be that every man who had a case came to the king for judgment; and Absalom cried out to him and said to him, From what city are you? And the man said, Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.

And Absalom said to him, Behold, your words are good and right, and there is no one listening to you from the king.

And Absalom said, Who will appoint me judge in the land? and every man to whom there may be any dispute and judgment would come to me, and I would justify him.

And it came to pass when a man drew near to do obeisance to him, that he stretched out his hand and took hold of him and kissed him.

And Absalom did according to this word to all Israel who came for judgment to the king, and Absalom was appropriating the heart of the men of Israel

And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Absalom said to his father, I will go now and pay my vows which I vowed to the Lord in Hebron.

For your servant vowed a vow while I was dwelling in Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord should indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.

And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he rose up and went to Hebron.

And Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, When you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, Absalom has become king in Hebron.

And with Abessalom two hundred men from Jerusalem went, invited and going in their simplicity, and they knew not any matter.

And Absalom sent and called Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, from Giloh, while he was sacrificing; and there was a strong conspiracy, and the people were going and increasing with Absalom.

And the messenger came to David, saying, The heart of the men of Israel has turned after Abessalom.

And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, Rise up and let us flee, for there is no deliverance for us from the face of Absalom; hasten to depart, lest he hurry and overtake us and drive upon us the evil and strike the city with the mouth of the sword.

And the servants of the king said to the king, According to all that our lord the king chooses, behold, your servants.

And the king went out, and all his house on foot, and the king left ten women of his concubines to keep the house.

And the king went out, and all his servants on foot, and they stood at the house, the distant one.

and all his servants passed on at his side, and every Hittite and every Pelethite, and they stood on the olive tree in the wilderness, and all the people were passing by, following him, and all those around him, and all the mighty men and all the warriors, six hundred men, and they were present at his side, and every Cherethite and every Pelethite and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come on their feet from Gath, marching before the face of the king

And the king said to Iththai the Gittite, Why do you also go with us? Return and dwell with the king, for you are a foreigner, and because you have migrated from your place.

If yesterday you came, then today shall I move you with us? And indeed you shall remove your place yesterday, your going out; and today I shall move you with us, so as to go. And I also will go wherever I may go. Return, and turn back your brothers with you, and the Lord will do with you mercy and truth.

And Ittai answered the king and said, As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in the place where my lord shall be, whether for death or whether for life, there also shall your servant be.

And the king said to Ittai, Come here and pass over with me. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his servants, and all the crowd that was with him.

And all the land was weeping with a great voice, and all the people were passing along in the Kidron brook, and the king crossed over the Kidron brook, and all the people and the king were passing along to the front of the road, toward the wilderness.

And behold, also Zadok and all the Levites with him, lifting up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Bethar, and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people finished passing out from the city

And the king said to Zadok, Turn back the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, then he will bring me back and show me it and its comeliness.

And if he should say thus, I do not have pleasure in you, behold, I am here; let him do to me according to the good in his eyes.

And the king said to Zadok the priest, Behold, you return to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you.

See, I am staying at the fords of the wilderness until a word comes from you to report to me

And Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark to Jerusalem, and it remained there.

And David was going up on the ascent of the olive trees, going up and weeping, and his head having been covered, and he himself was going barefoot; and all the people who were with him covered each man his head, and they were going up, going up and weeping.

And it was reported to David, saying, And Ahithophel is among those who conspire with Abessalom. And David said, Scatter now the counsel of Ahithophel, O Lord my God.

And David was coming as far as Roos, where he worshiped there to God, and behold, to meet him came Hushai the Archite, David’s companion, with his tunic torn and earth on his head

And David said to him, If indeed you cross over with me, and you will be upon me for a burden

and if you return to the city and say to Abessalom, Your brothers have passed by, and the king has passed behind me; your father has passed by, and now I am your servant, king; let me live: I was your father’s servant then, and now also, and now I am your servant, and you will frustrate for me the counsel of Achitophel

And behold, with you there are there Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and it shall be that every word that you may hear from the house of the king you shall announce to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests.

Behold, there with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, and Jonathan, son of Abiathar; and you shall send by their hand to me every word that you may hear.

And Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, and Absalom was entering into Jerusalem.