7. After four years Absalom said to King David, “Please let me go to Hebron. I want to carry out my promise that I made to the Lord.
8. I made it while I was living in Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship him in Hebron.’”
9. The king said, “Go in peace.”So Absalom went to Hebron.
10. But he sent secret messengers through all the tribes of Israel. They told the people, “When you hear the trumpets, say this: ‘Absalom has become the king at Hebron!’”
11. Absalom had invited 200 men to go with him. So they went from Jerusalem with him. But they didn’t know what he was planning.
12. Ahithophel was one of the people who advised David. He was from the town of Giloh. While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he called Ahithophel to come from his hometown of Giloh. So Absalom’s plans were working very well. More and more people began to support him.
13. A man came in to tell the news to David. The man said, “The Israelites are beginning to follow Absalom.”
14. Then David spoke to all his officers who were with him in Jerusalem. He said, “We must leave quickly! If we don’t, we won’t be able to get away from Absalom. We must hurry before he catches us. He would destroy us and kill the people of Jerusalem.”
15. The king’s officers said to him, “We will do anything you say.”
16. The king set out with everyone in his house. But he left ten slave women to take care of the palace.
17. The king left with all his people following him. They stopped at the last house.
18. All the king’s servants passed by him. All the Kerethites and Pelethites, the king’s bodyguards, passed by him. All those from Gath, the 600 men who had followed him, passed by him.
19. The king spoke to Ittai, a man from Gath. He said, “Why are you also going with us? Turn back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner. This is not your homeland.