2 Samuel 15

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 After this, Absalom procured a chariot and horses, with fifty men to run ahead of him.	1 Now after these things Absalom made himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
2 He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate; and whenever a man withsome lawsuit had to come before the king's tribunal, Absalom would cal out to him and ask, 'Which town are youfrom?' If he answered, 'Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,'	2 And Absalom rising up early stood by the entrance of the gate, and when any man had business to come to the king's judgment, Absalom called him to him, and said: Of what city art thou? He answered, and said: Thy servant is of such a tribe of Israel.
3 then Absalom would say, 'Look, your case is sound and just, but not one of the king's deputies willisten to you.'	3 And Absalom answered him: Thy words seem to me good and just. But there is no man appointed by the king to hear thee. And Absalom said:
4 Absalom would say, 'Oh, who will appoint me judge in the land? Then anyone with a lawsuit or a pleacould come to me and I should see he had justice!'	4 O that they would make me judge over the land, that all that have business might come to me, that I might do them justice.
5 And whenever anyone came up to him to prostrate himself, he would stretch out his hand, draw him tohim and kiss him.	5 Moreover when any man came to him to salute him, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
6 Absalom acted like this with every Israelite who appealed to the king's tribunal, and so Absalom wonthe Israelites' hearts.	6 And this he did to all Israel that came for judgment, to be heard by the king, and he enticed the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 When four years had gone by, Absalom said to the king, 'Al ow me to go to Hebron and fulfil the vowwhich I have made to Yahweh;	7 And after forty years, Absalom said to king David: Let me go, and pay my vows which I have vowed to the Lord in Hebron.
8 for, when I was in Geshur, in Aram, your servant made this vow, "If Yahweh brings me back toJerusalem, I shal pay my devotions to Yahweh in Hebron." '	8 For thy servant made avow, when he was in Gessur of Syria, saying: If the Lord shall bring me again into Jerusalem I will offer sacrifice to the Lord.
9 The king said to him, 'Go in peace.' So he set off and went to Hebron.	9 And king David said to him: Go in peace. And he arose, and went to Hebron.
10 Absalom sent couriers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, 'When you hear the trumpet sound, you are to say, "Absalom is king at Hebron!" '	10 And Absalom sent spies into all the tribes of Israel, saying: As soon as you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, say ye: Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
11 With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem; they had been invited and had gone in alinnocence, unaware of what was going on.	11 Now there went with Absalom two hundred men out of Jerusalem that were called, going with simplicity of heart, and knowing nothing of the design.
12 Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from Giloh his town, and had him withhim while offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy grew in strength, since Absalom's supporters grew in number.	12 Absalom also sent for Achitophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city Gilo. And while he was offering sacrifices, there was a strong conspiracy, and the people running together increased with Absalom.
13 A messenger came and told David, 'The men of Israel have shifted their allegiance to Absalom.'	13 And there came a messenger to David, saying: All Israel with their whole heart followeth Absalom.
14 David said to al his retinue then with him in Jerusalem, 'Up, let us flee, or we shal not escape fromAbsalom! Leave as quickly as you can, in case he mounts a sudden attack, overcomes us and puts the city tothe sword.'	14 And David said to his servants, that were with him in Jerusalem: Arise and let us flee: for we shall not escape else from the face of Absalom: make haste to go out, lest he come and overtake us, and bring ruin upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
15 The king's retinue replied, 'Whatever my lord the king decides, we are at your service.'	15 And the king's servants said to him: Whatsoever our lord the king shall command, we thy servants will willingly execute.
16 The king set out on foot with his whole household, leaving ten concubines to look after the palace.	16 And the king went forth, and all his household on foot: and the king left ten women his concubines to keep the house:
17 The king set out on foot with everyone fol owing, and they halted at the last house.	17 And the king going forth and all Israel on foot, stood afar off from the house:
18 Al his officers stood at his side. All the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, with Ittai and all the sixhundred Gittites who had come in his retinue from Gath, marched past the king.	18 And all his servants walked by him, and the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and all the Gethites, valiant warriors, six hundred men who had followed him from Geth on foot, went before the king.
19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, 'You, why are you coming with us? Go back and stay with the king,for you are a foreigner, indeed an exile from your homeland.	19 And the king said to Ethai the Gethite: Why comest thou with us? return and dwell with the king, for thou art a stranger, and art come out of thy own place.
20 You arrived only yesterday; should I take you wandering with us today, when I do not know myselfwhere I am going? Go back, take your fellow countrymen with you, and may Yahweh show you mercy andfaithful love!'	20 Yesterday thou camest, and to day shalt thou be forced to go forth with us? but I shall go whither I am going: return thou, and take back thy brethren with thee, and the Lord will shew thee mercy, and truth, because thou hast shewn grace and fidelity.
21 Ittai replied to the king, 'As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the kingmay be, for death or life, your servant wil be there too.'	21 And Ethai answered the king, saying: As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth: in what place soever thou shalt be, my lord, O king, either in death, or in life, there will thy servant be.
22 David then said to Ittai, 'Go ahead, march past!' And Ittai of Gath marched past with al his men andwith all his children too.	22 And David said to Ethai: Come, and pass over. And Ethai the Gethite passed, and all the men that were with him, and the rest of the people.
23 The entire population was weeping aloud as the king stood in the bed of the Kidron and everyonemarched past him, making for the desert.	23 And they all wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself went over the brook Cedron, and all the people marched towards the way that looketh to the desert.
24 Zadok was there too, and al the Levites with him, carrying the ark of God. They set the ark of Goddown beside Abiathar until everyone had finished marching out of the town.	24 And Sadoc the priest also came, and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God: and Abiathar went up, till all the people that was come out of the city had done passing.
25 The king then said to Zadok, 'Take the ark of God back into the city. Should I win Yahweh's favour,he wil bring me back and al ow me to see it and its tent once more.	25 And the king said to Sadoc: Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will bring me again, and he will shew me it, and his tabernacle.
26 But should he say, "You displease me," here I am: let him treat me as he sees fit.'	26 But if he shall say to me: Thou pleasest me not: I am ready, let him do that which is good before him.
27 The king said to Zadok the priest, 'Look, you and Abiathar go back quietly into the city, with your twosons, your own son Ahimaaz and Jonathan son of Abiathar.	27 And the king said to Sadoc the priest: O seer, return into the city in peace: and let Achimaas thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you.
28 You see, I shall wait in the passes of the desert plain until word comes from you bringing me news.'	28 Behold I will lie hid in the plains of the wilderness, till there come word from you to certify me.
29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.	29 So Sadoc and Abiathar carried back the ark of God into Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
30 David then made his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, his head covered and his feetbare. And al the people with him had their heads covered and made their way up, weeping as they went.	30 But David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, going up and weeping, walking barefoot, and with his head covered, and all the people that were with them, went up with their heads covered weeping.
31 David was then informed that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, 'Ibeg you, Yahweh, turn Ahithophel's advice to fol y.'	31 And it was told David that Achitophel also was in the conspiracy with Absalom, and David said: Infatuate, O Lord, I beseech thee, the counsel of Achitophel.
32 As David reached the summit, where God is worshipped, he saw Hushai the Archite, his friend,coming to meet him with his tunic torn and with earth on his head.	32 And when David was come to the top of the mountain, where he was about to adore the Lord, behold Chusai the Arachite, came to meet him with his garment rent and his head covered with earth.
33 David said, 'If you go along with me, you wil be a burden to me.	33 And David said to him: If thou come with me, thou wilt be a burden to me:
34 But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, "I am at your service, my lord king; once I was inyour father's service, but now I shal serve you," you wil be able to thwart Ahithophel's advice for me.	34 But if thou return into the city, and wilt say to Absalom: I am thy servant, O king: as I have been thy father's servant, so I will be thy servant: thou shalt defeat the counsel of Achitophel.
35 Surely the priests Zadok and Abiathar wil be with you? Anything you hear from the palace you mustreport to the priests Zadok and Abiathar.	35 And thou hast with thee Sadoc, and Abiathar the priests: and what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests.
36 You see, their two sons are there with them, Zadok's son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar's son Jonathan;through these, you will send me word of everything you hear.'	36 And there are with them their two sons Achimaas the son of Sadoc, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar: and you shall send by them to me every thing that you shall hear.
37 Hushai, David's friend, entered the city just as Absalom was reaching Jerusalem.	37 Then Chusai the friend of David went into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.