1And after this Absalom prepared for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men to run before him.2And rising early, Absalom stood by the side of the way at the gate. And every man who had a controversy and came to the king for judgment was there. And Absalom called to him and said, "From which city are you?" And he said, "From one of the tribes of Israel, your servant."3And he said to him, "Absalom, see, your matter is good and right, and there is no one to hear you from the king."4And Absalom said, "Who will appoint me judge in the land? And to me may come every man who has for himself a dispute and justice, and I will vindicate him."5And when anyone approached him to bow down to him, he would reach out his hand and grasp him and kiss him.6And Absalom did in this way with all Israel who came to the king for judgment, and he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.7And at the end of forty years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go now, and I will fulfill my vow that I vowed to the LORD in Hebron."8For your servant vowed a vow when I dwelt in Geshur in Aram, saying, "If the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, then your servant will serve the LORD."9And the king said to him, "Go in peace." And he arose and went to Hebron.10And Absalom sent spies into all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the ram's horn, say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’”11And two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom, invited and going innocently, and they did not know anything.12And Absalom sent Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city, from Gilo, while he was sacrificing the sacrifices. And the conspiracy became strong, and the people went and increased with Absalom.