7. After four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the lord and fulfill a vow I made to him.
8. For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the lord in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem.”
9. “All right,” the king told him. “Go and fulfill your vow.”So Absalom went to Hebron.
10. But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,” his message read, “you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.’”
11. He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions.
12. While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.
13. A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”
14. “Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.”
15. “We are with you,” his advisers replied. “Do what you think is best.”
16. So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace.
17. The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last house
18. to let all the king’s men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king’s bodyguard.