David Flees Jerusalem; Loyal Followers Accompany Him
2 Samuel 15:13-37
13And the teller came to David to say, "The heart of the man of Israel has gone after Absalom."14And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, "Arise and let us flee, for there will not be a survivor for us from the face of Absalom. Hasten to walk, lest he hasten and overtake us and bring distress upon us and strike the city with the edge of the sword."15And the servants of the king said to the king, "Like all that my lord the king chooses, behold, your servants."16And the king came out, and all his house at his foot, and the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.17And the king came out, and all the people at his foot, and they stood at Beth-merchak.18And all his servants were passing by his hand, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his foot from Gath, passing before the king.19And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why do you also walk with us? Return and dwell with the king, for you are foreign and also an exile to your place.20Yesterday was your coming, and today I shake you to walk with us, and I am going wherever I am going. Return and take your brother back with you. Kindness and truth."21And Ittai answered the king and said, "As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether to death or to life, there your servant shall be."22And David said to Ittai, "Walk and pass." And Ittai the Gittite passed, and all his men and all the children who were with him.23And all the land was weeping with a loud voice, and all the people were passing, and the king was passing through the Kidron Valley, and all the people were passing along the way toward the wilderness.24And behold, Zadok also and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished passing from the city.25And the king said to Zadok, "Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, then he will return me and show me it and his pasture."26And if thus he says, "I have not delighted in you," look, I will do to myself whatever is pleasing in his eyes.27And the king said to Zadok the priest, "Are you seeing? Return to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons, with you.28See, I am delaying in the ford in the Arabah of the wilderness until a word comes from with you to tell to me."29And Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and sat there.30And David was going up in the ascent of the Olives, going up and weeping, and his head was covered, and he was going barefoot, and all the people who were with him covered each man his head, and they went up going up and weeping.31And David was told, saying, "Ahithophel is in the conspiracy with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, please make the counsel of Ahithophel foolish."32And it was, when David came to the summit where he would bow there to God, and behold, Hushai the Archite met him, his tunic torn and earth upon his head.33And David said to him, "If you pass on with me, then you will be a burden to me.34But if you return to the city, then you shall say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; I was your father's servant in the past, and now I will be your servant.' Then you will break for me the counsel of Ahithophel.35And are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you? It will be that every word you hear from the house of the king, you shall tell to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests.36Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, and by their hand you shall send to me every word that you hear."37And Hushai the friend of David came to the city, and Absalom came to Jerusalem.