Abšāloms rīko sazvērestību
1 Pēc tam Abšāloms sagādāja sev kararatus, zirgus un piecdesmit skrējējus – lai skrien viņam pa priekšu. 2 Abšāloms cēlās agri un nostājās pie ceļa, kas veda uz pilsētu. Ikvienu vīru, kas nāca pie ķēniņa iztiesāt kādu strīdu, Abšāloms pasauca un vaicāja: “No kādas pilsētas tu esi?” Kad tas atbildēja: tavs kalps ir no tādas un tādas Israēla cilts, – 3 Abšāloms tam teica: “Redzi, tava lieta ir taisna un pareiza, bet pie ķēniņa tevi neviens neuzklausīs.” 4 Abšāloms sacīja: “Ja mani ieceltu šai zemei par tiesnesi, tad ikvienam, kas strīdus dēļ nāktu pie manis, es spriestu tiesu pēc taisnības.” 5 Kad kāds pienāca, lai zemotos viņam, viņš izstiepa roku, satvēra to un skūpstīja. 6 Tā Abšāloms rīkojās ar visiem israēliešiem, kas nāca pie ķēniņa uz tiesu – Abšāloms zaga Israēla vīru sirdis.
7 Kad Abšālomam bija apritējuši četrdesmit gadi, viņš teica ķēniņam: “Ļauj jel man doties uz Hebronu un izpildīt solījumu, ko esmu devis Kungam. 8 Dzīvodams Arāma Gešūrā, tavs kalps deva solījumu: ja tiešām Kungs pārvedīs mani Jeruzālemē, tad es viņam kalpošu.” 9 Ķēniņš viņam teica: “Ej ar mieru!” Un viņš cēlās un gāja uz Hebronu. 10 Abšāloms slepus sūtīja visām Israēla ciltīm ziņu: “Tiklīdz izdzirdēsiet raga skaņu, sauciet: Abšāloms ir ķēniņš Hebronā!” 11 Abšālomam līdzi gāja divi simti vīru no Jeruzālemes, kas bija aicināti. Tie gāja bez viltus, neko no tā visa nezinādami. 12 Pa to laiku, kamēr Abšāloms pienesa upurus, viņš sūtīja pēc Dāvida padomdevēja gīlonieša Ahītofela uz viņa pilsētu Gilo. Sazvērestība bija plaša, un aizvien vairāk ļaužu pievienojās Abšālomam.
Dāvids bēg no Jeruzālemes
13 Pie Dāvida ieradās ziņnesis un teica: “Israēla vīru sirdis ir ar Abšālomu.” 14 Dāvids sacīja visiem saviem kalpiem, kas bija pie viņa Jeruzālemē: “Celieties, bēgsim! – jo neviens no mums neizglābsies no Abšāloma. Steidzieties projām, pirms viņš mūs pārsteidz – viņš mums uzgrūdīs postu un pilsētu izkaus ar zobenu!” 15 Ķēniņa kalpi atbildēja ķēniņam: “Lai ko mūsu kungs, ķēniņš, izvēlētos, tavi kalpi ir ar tevi!” 16 Ķēniņš devās prom un viss viņa nams tam pa pēdām, un ķēniņš atstāja desmit blakussievas pieskatīt māju. 17 Ķēniņš gāja un visi ļaudis tam pa pēdām, un pie galējā nama tie apstājās. 18 Visi viņa kalpi nogāja viņam garām – visi krētieši un peletieši , un visi gatieši – seši simti vīru, kas bija nākuši viņam līdzi no Gatas, soļoja garām ķēniņam. 19 Ķēniņš teica gatietim Itajam: “Kāpēc arī tev nākt ar mums? Atgriezies, paliec pie tā ķēniņa, jo tu esi svešinieks un bēglis no savas zemes. 20 Tikai vakar tu esi atnācis, vai jau šodien man likt tev doties mums līdzi bēgļu gaitās? Es eju savu ceļu, bet tu atgriezies un pievienojies saviem brāļiem. Žēlastība un uzticība ar tevi!” 21 Itajs atbildēja ķēniņam: “Dzīvs Kungs un dzīvs mans kungs, ķēniņš! – Lai kur būtu mans kungs, ķēniņš, – vai nāvē, vai dzīvībā, tur būs arī tavs kalps!” 22 Dāvids teica Itajam: “Nāc un soļo uz priekšu!” Un gatietis Itajs soļoja viņam garām un visi viņa ļaudis, un visi mazie bērni, kas bija kopā ar viņu. 23 Visa zeme raudāja skaļā balsī, kad ļaudis soļoja garām ķēniņam. Ķēniņš šķērsoja Kidronas strautu, un tad pāri gāja visi ļaudis, dodamies ceļā uz tuksnesi. 24 Un, redzi, arī Cādoks līdz ar visiem levītiem, kas nesa Dieva derības šķirstu, – viņi novietoja Dieva šķirstu, un Ebjātārs bija uzkāpis augšā, kamēr visi ļaudis atstāja pilsētu. 25 Ķēniņš teica Cādokam: “Nes Dieva šķirstu atpakaļ uz pilsētu. Ja esmu guvis Kunga vēlību, viņš ļaus man atgriezties un skatīt gan to, gan viņa mājvietu. 26 Bet, ja viņš sacīs: tu esi man netīkams! – tad es esmu šeit, lai viņš man dara, kā uzskata par labu.” 27 Un vēl ķēniņš teica priesterim Cādokam: “Zini, ko, atgriezies pilsētā ar mieru un tāpat tavs dēls Ahīmaacs un Ebjātāra dēls Jonatāns – abi jūsu dēli lai iet jums līdzi. 28 Redziet, es gaidīšu pie tuksneša pārejām, līdz saņemšu ziņu no jums.” 29 Cādoks un Ebjātārs nogādāja Dieva šķirstu atpakaļ Jeruzālemē un arī paši palika tur.
30 Bet Dāvids kāpa augšup pa Olīvkalna nogāzi, kāpa raudādams. Galva tam bija apsegta, un viņš gāja basām kājām. Un visi ļaudis, kas ar viņu, kāpa augšup, galvas apseguši un raudādami. 31 Dāvidam pastāstīja: “Ahītofels ir starp sazvērniekiem kopā ar Abšālomu.” Dāvids teica: “Kungs, jel padari muļķīgu Ahītofela padomu!”
Hūšajs
32 Kad Dāvids sasniedza virsotni, kur viņi zemojās Dievam, redzi, arkietis Hūšajs nāca viņam pretī pārplēstā apģērbā, un pīšļi tam bija uz galvas. 33 Dāvids viņam teica: “Ja tu nāksi man līdzi, tu būsi man par nastu, 34 bet, ja atgriezīsies pilsētā un teiksi Abšālomam: es būšu tavs kalps, ķēniņ! Es kalpoju tavam tēvam līdz šim, un tagad es kalpošu tev, – tu sagrozīsi Ahītofela padomu man par labu. 35 Vai tad tur kopā ar tevi nebūs priesteri Cādoks un Ebjātārs? Visu, ko dzirdēsi runājam ķēniņa namā, tu pastāsti priesteriem Cādokam un Ebjātāram. 36 Redzi, abi viņu dēli tur ir kopā ar viņiem – Cādoka Ahīmaacs un Ebjātāra Jonatāns. Ar viņiem sūtiet man visas ziņas, ko uzzināsiet!” 37 Un Dāvida draugs Hūšajs atgriezās pilsētā tobrīd, kad Abšāloms nāca iekšā Jeruzālemē.
Absalom Rebels against David
1 Some time later, Absalom got himself a chariot with horses to pull it, and he had 50 men run in front. 2 He would get up early each morning and wait by the side of the road that led to the city gate. Anyone who had a complaint to bring to King David would have to go that way, and Absalom would ask each of them, “Where are you from?”
If they said, “I'm from a tribe in the north,” 3 Absalom would say, “You deserve to win your case. It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear complaints like yours. 4 I wish someone would make me the judge around here! I would be fair to everyone.”
5 Whenever anyone came to Absalom and started bowing down, he would reach out and hug and kiss them. 6 That's how he treated everyone from Israel who brought a complaint to the king. Soon everyone in Israel liked Absalom better than they liked David.
7 Four years later, Absalom said to David, “Please, let me go to Hebron. I have to keep a promise that I made to the Lord, 8 when I was living with the Arameans in Geshur. I promised that if the Lord would bring me back to live in Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron.”
9 David gave his permission, and Absalom went to Hebron. 10-12 He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him, but they had no idea what he was going to do. Absalom offered sacrifices in Hebron and sent someone to Gilo to tell David's advisor Ahithophel to come.
More and more people were joining Absalom and supporting his plot. Meanwhile, Absalom had secretly sent some messengers to the northern tribes of Israel. The messengers told everyone, “When you hear the sound of the trumpets, you must shout, ‘Absalom now rules as king in Hebron!’ ”
David Has To Leave Jerusalem
13 A messenger came and told David, “Everyone in Israel is on Absalom's side!”
14 David's officials were in Jerusalem with him, and he told them, “Let's get out of here! We'll have to leave soon, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry! If he moves fast, he could catch us while we're still here. Then he will kill us and everyone else in the city.”
15 The officials said, “Your Majesty, we'll do whatever you say.”
16-17 David left behind ten of his wives to take care of the palace, but the rest of his family and his officials and soldiers went with him.
They stopped at the last house at the edge of the city. 18 Then David stood there and watched while his regular troops and his bodyguards marched past. The last group was the 600 soldiers who had followed him from Gath. Their commander was Ittai.
19 David spoke to Ittai and said, “You're a foreigner from the town of Gath. You don't have to leave with us. Go back and join the new king! 20 You haven't been with me very long, so why should you have to follow me, when I don't even know where I'm going? Take your soldiers and go back. I pray that the Lord will be kind and faithful to you.”
21 Ittai answered, “Your Majesty, just as surely as you and the Lord live, I will go where you go, no matter if it costs me my life.”
22 “Then come on!” David said.
So Ittai and all his men and their families walked on past David.
David Sends the Sacred Chest Back to Jerusalem
23 The people of Jerusalem were crying and moaning as David and everyone with him passed by. He led them across Kidron Valley and along the road toward the desert.
24 Zadok and Abiathar the priests were there along with several men from the tribe of Levi who were carrying the sacred chest. They set the chest down, and left it there until David and his followers had gone out of the city.
25 Then David said:
Zadok, take the sacred chest back to Jerusalem. If the Lord is pleased with me, he will bring me back and let me see it and his tent again. 26 But if he says he isn't pleased with me, then let him do what he knows is best.
27 Zadok, you are a good judge of things, so return to the city and don't cause any trouble. Take your son Ahimaaz with you. Abiathar and his son Jonathan will also go back. 28 I'll wait at the river crossing in the desert until I hear from you.
29 Zadok and Abiathar took the sacred chest back into Jerusalem and stayed there. 30 David went on up the slope of the Mount of Olives. He was barefoot and crying, and he covered his head to show his sorrow. Everyone with him was crying, and they covered their heads too.
31 Someone told David, “Ahithophel is helping Absalom plot against you!”
David said, “Please, Lord, keep Ahithophel's plans from working!”
David Sends Hushai Back as a Spy
32 When David reached the top of the Mount of Olives, he met Hushai the Archite at a place of worship. Hushai's robe was torn, and dust was on his head. 33 David told him:
If you come with me, you might slow us down. 34 Go back into the city and tell Absalom, “Your Majesty, I am your servant. I will serve you now, just as I served your father in the past.”
Hushai, if you do that, you can help me ruin Ahithophel's plans. 35 Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you, and you can tell them everything you hear in the palace. 36 Then they can send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what you've heard.
37 David's advisor Hushai slipped back into Jerusalem, at just about the same time Absalom was coming in.
