David Flees Jerusalem

2 Samuel 15

13 And a messenger came to David, saying, h "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom." 14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us i flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword." 15 And the king's servants said to the king, "Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides." 16 So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left j ten concubines to keep the house. 17 And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.

18 And k all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from l Gath, passed on before the king. 19 Then the king said to m Ittai the Gittite, "Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go n I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show 1 steadfast love and faithfulness to you." 21 But Ittai answered the king, o "As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, p wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be." 22 And David said to Ittai, "Go then, pass on." So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed q the brook r Kidron, and all the people passed on toward s the wilderness.

24 And t Abiathar came up, and behold, u Zadok came also with all the Levites, v bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, "Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will w bring me back and let me see both it and his x dwelling place. 26 But if he says, 'I have no y pleasure in you,' behold, here I am, z let him do to me what seems good to him." 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a a seer? Go back 2 to the city in peace, with b your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at c the fords of s the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." 29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, d barefoot and e with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, f weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O Lord, please g turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."

32 While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai h the Archite came to meet him i with his coat torn and i dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, "If you go on with me, you will be j a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, k 'I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,' then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, l tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, m their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, m and by them you shall send to me everything you hear." 37 So Hushai, n David's friend, came into the city, o just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

  1. Cross References
    Judges 9:3
    And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother.
  2. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:9
    And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.
  3. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:21 - 22
    Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.
    2 Samuel 20:3
    And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.
  4. Cross References
    2 Samuel 8:18
    And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were priests.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 27:2
    So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
  6. Cross References
    2 Samuel 18:2
    And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will also go out with you.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 23:13
    Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.
  8. Cross References
    Ruth 3:13
    Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
  9. Cross References
    Ruth 1:16 - 17
    But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
  10. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:37
    For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your blood shall be on your own head.
    1 Kings 15:13
    He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.
    2 Kings 23:4
    And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.
    2 Kings 23:6
    And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people.
    2 Kings 23:12
    And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, he pulled down and broke in pieces and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.
  11. Cross References
    John 18:1
    When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.
  12. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:2
    And the king said to Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.
    2 Samuel 17:16
    Now therefore send quickly and tell David, 'Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'
    2 Samuel 17:29
    Honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, "The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.
  13. Cross References
    Numbers 4:15
    And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.
  14. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:20
    But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
  15. Cross References
    2 Samuel 8:17
    And Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was secretary.
    2 Samuel 20:25
    And Sheva was secretary; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
  16. Cross References
    Psalms 43:3
    Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!
  17. Cross References
    Exodus 15:13
    You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
    Jeremiah 25:30
    You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: "'The Lord will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice; he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
  18. Cross References
    2 Samuel 22:20
    He brought me out into a broad place; he rescue...
    Numbers 14:8
    If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us in...
    1 Kings 10:9
    Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted...
    2 Chronicles 9:8
    Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted...
    Psalms 18:19
    He brought me out into a broad place; he rescue...
    Psalms 22:8
    "He trusts in the Lord ; let him deliver him; l...
    Isaiah 62:4
    You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your ...
  19. Cross References
    1 Samuel 3:18
    So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.
  20. Cross References
    1 Samuel 9:9
    (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's "prophet" was formerly called a seer.)
  21. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:17
    Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city.
  22. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:16
    Now therefore send quickly and tell David, 'Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.
  23. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:23
    And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.
  24. Cross References
    Isaiah 20:2 - 4
    At that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
  25. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:4
    The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
    Esther 6:12
    Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.
    Jeremiah 14:3 - 4
    Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads.
  26. Cross References
    Psalms 126:6
    He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
  27. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:23
    Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.
    2 Samuel 17:14
    And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.
    2 Samuel 17:23
    When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.
  28. Cross References
    Joshua 16:2
    Then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites.
  29. Cross References
    Joshua 7:6
    Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
  30. Cross References
    Joshua 7:6
    Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
  31. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:35
    I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
  32. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:19
    And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you.
  33. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:15 - 16
    Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so have I counseled.
  34. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:17
    Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city.
  35. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:17
    Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city.
  36. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:16
    And when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!
    1 Chronicles 27:33
    Ahithophel was the king's counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king's friend.
  37. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:15
    Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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