2 Samuel 15:13-23

David Flees from Jerusalem

15:13 Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!” ¹  15:14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, ²  “Come on! ³  Let’s escape! ⁴  Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring ⁵  disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword.” ⁶  15:15 The king’s servants replied to the king, “We will do whatever our lord the king decides.” ⁷ 

15:16 So the king and all the members of his royal court ⁸  set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines ⁹  to attend to the palace. 15:17 The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing ¹⁰  at a spot ¹¹  some distance away. 15:18 All his servants were leaving with him, ¹²  along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites – some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with ¹³  the king.

15:19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new ¹⁴  king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country. ¹⁵  15:20 It seems like you arrived just yesterday. Today should I make you wander around by going with us? I go where I must go. But as for you, go back and take your men ¹⁶  with you. May genuine loyal love ¹⁷  protect ¹⁸  you!”

15:21 But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether dead or alive, ¹⁹  there I ²⁰  will be as well!” 15:22 So David said to Ittai, “Come along then.” ²¹  So Ittai the Gittite went along, ²²  accompanied by all his men and all the dependents ²³  who were with him.

15:23 All the land was weeping loudly ²⁴  as all these people were leaving. ²⁵  As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving ²⁶  on the road that leads to the desert.

[15:13]  ¹ tn Heb “the heart of the men of Israel is with Absalom.”

[15:14]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:14]  ³ tn Heb “Arise!”

[15:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “let’s flee.”

[15:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “thrust.”

[15:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

[15:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “according to all that my lord the king will choose, behold your servants!”

[15:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “and all his house.”

[15:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “women, concubines.”

[15:17]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and they stood.”

[15:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “house.”

[15:18]  ¹² tn Heb “crossing over near his hand.”

[15:18]  ¹³ tn Heb “crossing over near the face of.”

[15:19]  ¹⁴ tn The word “new” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation to make it clear that David refers to Absalom, not himself.

[15:19]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “place.”

[15:20]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “brothers,” but see v. 22.

[15:20]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “loyal love and truth.” The expression is a hendiadys.

[15:20]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “be with.”

[15:21]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “whether for death or for life.”

[15:21]  ²⁰ tn Heb “your servant.”

[15:22]  ²¹ tn Heb “Come and cross over.”

[15:22]  ²² tn Heb “crossed over.”

[15:22]  ²³ tn Heb “all the little ones.”

[15:23]  ²⁴ tn Heb “with a great voice.”

[15:23]  ²⁵ tn Heb “crossing over.”

[15:23]  ²⁶ tn Heb “crossing near the face of.”