押沙龙谋反
1后来，押沙龙为自己备了车马，又派五十个人在他前面开道。 2他常常清早起来，站在城门的通道旁边。每当有人来找王审理争讼时，押沙龙便问他是从哪一座城来的，那人就会报上自己所属的支派。 3押沙龙会对他说：“你的申诉合情合理，可惜王没有派人来听你申诉。” 4他接着会说：“要是我被立为国中的审判官就好了！那样，任何人有申诉都可以来找我，我一定会为他主持公道。” 5每当有人要向他叩拜，他都伸手扶他，亲吻他。 6押沙龙这样对待每一个来向王申诉的以色列人，赢得了民心。
7过了四年，押沙龙对王说：“请让我到希伯仑去还我向耶和华许下的愿吧。 8仆人住在亚兰的基述时曾许愿，如果耶和华带领我回到耶路撒冷，我必在希伯仑敬拜祂。” 9王说：“你平安地去吧！”押沙龙就去了希伯仑。 10他派密使通知以色列各支派一听见号角的响声，便喊：“押沙龙在希伯仑做王了！” 11有二百人应邀随同押沙龙一起从耶路撒冷去希伯仑，他们对内情一无所知。 12押沙龙献祭的时候，还派人去把大卫的谋士亚希多弗从他的故乡基罗请来。反叛的势力大增，拥护押沙龙的民众越来越多。
大卫逃离耶路撒冷
13有人来禀告大卫：“以色列的民心都归向押沙龙了。” 14大卫便对在耶路撒冷跟随他的臣仆说：“我们赶快逃命吧！否则，我们都难逃押沙龙的追捕。我们要马上离开！免得他赶到残害我们，屠杀全城。” 15臣仆对王说：“臣等谨遵我主我王的决定。” 16于是王就带着全家逃命，只留下十个妃嫔看守宫殿。
17大卫王带着众民离开耶路撒冷，走到最后的那座房子时，停了下来。 18跟随他的人都走到前面去了，包括基利提人、比利提人以及从迦特来跟随他的六百人。 19王问迦特人以太说：“你为什么要跟我们一起逃难呢？回去留在新王那里吧！你是流亡到这里的外族人。 20你刚来不久，我怎么可以叫你跟我们一同四处飘流呢？我甚至不知道往何处去。你还是和你的弟兄回去吧，愿耶和华以慈爱和信实待你！” 21以太却答道：“我凭永活的耶和华和我主我王的性命起誓，不管我王去哪里，仆人都要誓死追随到底！” 22大卫便对以太说：“那就继续前行吧！”于是，迦特人以太带着他的人及所有的家眷继续前行。 23众人离开时，百姓都放声大哭。王带着所有的人过了汲沦溪，向旷野走去。
24祭司撒督、亚比亚他和抬上帝约柜的利未人都来了，他们把约柜放下，让城里出来的人先走过去。 25王对撒督说：“你把上帝的约柜运回城去吧。倘若耶和华恩待我，祂必使我重返家园，重见约柜和会幕； 26但如果我使祂不悦，我也甘愿听凭祂的处置。 27你是个有先见之明的人，安心带着你的儿子亚希玛斯和亚比亚他的儿子约拿单回城吧。 28我会在旷野渡口那里等你们的消息。” 29于是，撒督和亚比亚他便把上帝的约柜抬回耶路撒冷，留了下来。
30大卫蒙着头，赤着脚登上橄榄山，边走边哭，他的随从也蒙着头，哭着走上山。 31有人告诉大卫，亚希多弗也叛变，投奔了押沙龙，大卫就祷告说：“耶和华啊，求你使亚希多弗的谋算都变得愚不可及。” 32大卫来到山顶敬拜上帝的地方，看见亚基人户筛撕破了衣服，头蒙灰尘前来迎接他。 33大卫对他说：“你跟我一同逃命，只会给我带来不便。 34你还是回到城中，告诉押沙龙你愿意做他的臣仆，就像以前做我的臣仆一样，这样你就可以帮我破坏亚希多弗的计谋。 35祭司撒督和亚比亚他都在那里，你在宫内听到什么消息就告诉他们。 36撒督的儿子亚希玛斯和亚比亚他的儿子约拿单也在那里，你听到什么消息，可以派他们传信给我。” 37于是，大卫的朋友户筛便回到城里。那时，押沙龙也进了耶路撒冷。
Absalom Makes Secret Plans Against David
1Some time later, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself. He also got 50 men to run in front of him. 2He would get up early. He would stand by the side of the road that led to the city gate. Sometimes a person would come with a case for the king to decide. Then Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “I’m from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are based on the law. So you have every right to make them. But the king doesn’t have anyone here who can listen to your case.” 4Absalom would continue, “I wish I were appointed judge in the land! Then anyone who has a case or a claim could come to me. I would make sure they are treated fairly.”
5Sometimes people would approach Absalom and bow down to him. Then he would reach out his hand. He would take hold of them and kiss them. 6Absalom did that to all the Israelites who came to the king with their cases or claims. That’s why the hearts of the people were turned toward him.
7After Absalom had lived in Jerusalem for four years, he went and spoke to the king. He said, “Let me go to Hebron. I want to keep a promise I made to the Lord. 8When I was living at Geshur in Aram, I made a promise. I said, ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I’ll go to Hebron and worship him there.’ ”
9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron.
10Then Absalom sent messengers secretly to all the tribes of Israel. They said, “Listen for the sound of trumpets. As soon as you hear them, say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’ ” 11Absalom had taken 200 men from Jerusalem with him to Hebron. He had invited them to be his guests. They went without having any idea what was going to happen. 12While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel. Ahithophel was David’s adviser. He came to Absalom from Giloh, his hometown. The number of people who followed Absalom kept growing. So he became more and more able to carry out his plans against David.
David Runs Away From Absalom
13A messenger came and spoke to David. He told him, “The hearts of the Israelites are turned toward Absalom.”
14Then David spoke to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem. He said, “Come on! We have to leave right away! If we don’t, none of us will escape from Absalom. He’ll move quickly to catch up with us. He’ll destroy us. His men will kill everyone in the city with their swords.”
15The king’s officials answered him, “You are our king and master. We’re ready to do anything you want.”
16The king started out. Everyone in his whole family went with him. But he left ten concubines behind to take care of the palace. 17So the king and all those with him left. They stopped at the edge of the city. 18All of David’s officials marched past him. All the Kerethites and Pelethites marched along with them. And all of the 600 men who had come with him from Gath marched in front of him.
19The king spoke to Ittai. He was from Gath. The king said to him, “Why do you want to come along with us? Go back. Stay with King Absalom. You are an outsider. You left your own country. 20You came to join me only a short time ago. So why should I make you wander around with us now? I don’t even know where I’m going. So go on back. Take your people with you. And may the Lord be kind and faithful to you.”
21But Ittai replied to the king, “You are my king and master. I want to be where you are. It doesn’t matter whether I live or die. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.”
22David said to Ittai, “Go ahead then. Keep marching with my men.” So Ittai, the Gittite, kept marching. All his men and their families marched with him.
23All the people in the countryside wept out loud as David and all his followers passed by. The king went across the Kidron Valley. He and all the people with him moved on toward the desert.
24Zadok also went with them. Some of the Levites went with him. They were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark. Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had left the city.
25Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, he’ll bring me back. He’ll let me see the ark again. He’ll also let me see Jerusalem again. That’s the place where he lives. 26But suppose he says, ‘I am not pleased with you.’ Then I accept that. Let him do to me what he thinks is best.”
27The king said again to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you. Also take Abiathar and his son Jonathan with you. 28I’ll wait at the place in the desert where we can go across the Jordan River. I’ll wait there until you send word to let me know what’s happening.” 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem. They stayed there.
30But David went on up the Mount of Olives. He was weeping as he went. His head was covered, and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too. And they were weeping as they went up. 31David had been told, “Ahithophel, along with Absalom, is one of the people making secret plans against you.” So David prayed, “Lord, make Ahithophel’s advice look foolish.”
32David arrived at the top of the Mount of Olives. That’s where people used to worship God. Hushai, the Arkite, was there to meet him. His robe was torn. There was dust on his head. 33David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be too much trouble for me. 34So return to the city. Say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I’ll be your servant. In the past, I was your father’s servant. But now I’ll be your servant.’ If you do that, you can help me by making sure Ahithophel’s advice fails. 35Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there with you. Tell them everything you hear in the king’s palace. 36They have their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan there with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear.”
37So David’s trusted friend Hushai went to Jerusalem. He arrived just as Absalom was entering the city.
