II - Chapter 15

1Sometime afterward, Avshalom provided himself with a chariot, horses, and fifty outrunners.

אוַיְהִי מֵאַחֲרֵי כֵן וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ אַבְשָׁלוֹם מֶרְכָּבָה וְסֻסִים וַחֲמִשִּׁים אִישׁ רָצִים לְפָנָיו׃

2Avshalom used to rise early and stand by the road to the city gates; and whenever a man had a case that was to come before the king for judgment, Avshalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” And when he answered, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe in Yisrael,”

בוְהִשְׁכִּים אַבְשָׁלוֹם וְעָמַד עַל־יַד דֶּרֶךְ הַשָּׁעַר וַיְהִי כָּל־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיֶה־לּוֹ־רִיב לָבוֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ לַמִּשְׁפָּט וַיִּקְרָא אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֵי־מִזֶּה עִיר אַתָּה וַיֹּאמֶר מֵאַחַד שִׁבְטֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדֶּךָ׃

3Avshalom would say to him, “It is clear that your claim is right and just, but there is no one assigned to you by the king to hear it.”

גוַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְשָׁלוֹם רְאֵה דְבָרֶךָ טוֹבִים וּנְכֹחִים וְשֹׁמֵעַ אֵין־לְךָ מֵאֵת הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

4And Avshalom went on, “If only I were appointed judge in the land and everyone with a legal dispute came before me, I would see that he got his rights.”

דוַיֹּאמֶר אַבְשָׁלוֹם מִי־יְשִׂמֵנִי שֹׁפֵט בָּאָרֶץ וְעָלַי יָבוֹא כָּל־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיֶה־לּוֹ־רִיב וּמִשְׁפָּט וְהִצְדַּקְתִּיו׃

5And if a man approached to bow to him, [Avshalom] would extend his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

הוְהָיָה בִּקְרָב־אִישׁ לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוׂת לוֹ וְשָׁלַח אֶת־יָדוֹ וְהֶחֱזִיק לוֹ וְנָשַׁק לוֹ׃

6Avshalom did this to every Israelite who came to the king for judgment. Thus Avshalom won away the hearts of the men of Yisrael.

ווַיַּעַשׂ אַבְשָׁלוֹם כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־יָבֹאוּ לַמִּשְׁפָּט אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיְגַנֵּב אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶת־לֵב אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

7After a period of forty years had gone by, Avshalom said to the king, “Let me go to Chevron and fulfill a vow that I made to Hashem.

זוַיְהִי מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלֲכָה נָּא וַאֲשַׁלֵּם אֶת־נִדְרִי אֲשֶׁר־נָדַרְתִּי לַיהֹוָה בְּחֶבְרוֹן׃

8For your servant made a vow when I lived in Geshur of Aram: If Hashem ever brings me back to Yerushalayim, I will worship Hashem.”

חכִּי־נֵדֶר נָדַר עַבְדְּךָ בְּשִׁבְתִּי בִגְשׁוּר בַּאֲרָם לֵאמֹר אִם־ישיב [יָשׁוֹב] יְשִׁיבֵנִי יְהֹוָה יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְעָבַדְתִּי אֶת־יְהֹוָה׃

9The king said to him, “Go in peace”; and so he set out for Chevron.

טוַיֹּאמֶר־לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵךְ בְּשָׁלוֹם וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ חֶבְרוֹנָה׃

10But Avshalom sent agents to all the tribes of Yisrael to say, “When you hear the blast of the horn, announce that Avshalom has become king in Chevron.”

יוַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְשָׁלוֹם מְרַגְּלִים בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם אֶת־קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וַאֲמַרְתֶּם מָלַךְ אַבְשָׁלוֹם בְּחֶבְרוֹן׃

11Two hundred men of Yerushalayim accompanied Avshalom; they were invited and went in good faith, suspecting nothing.

יאוְאֶת־אַבְשָׁלוֹם הָלְכוּ מָאתַיִם אִישׁ מִירוּשָׁלִַם קְרֻאִים וְהֹלְכִים לְתֻמָּם וְלֹא יָדְעוּ כָּל־דָּבָר׃

12Avshalom also sent [to fetch] Achitofel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his town, Giloh, when the sacrifices were to be offered. The conspiracy gained strength, and the people supported Avshalom in increasing numbers.

יבוַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶת־אֲחִיתֹפֶל הַגִּילֹנִי יוֹעֵץ דָּוִד מֵעִירוֹ מִגִּלֹה בְּזָבְחוֹ אֶת־הַזְּבָחִים וַיְהִי הַקֶּשֶׁר אַמִּץ וְהָעָם הוֹלֵךְ וָרָב אֶת־אַבְשָׁלוֹם׃

13Someone came and told David, “The loyalty of the men of Yisrael has veered toward Avshalom.”

יגוַיָּבֹא הַמַּגִּיד אֶל־דָּוִד לֵאמֹר הָיָה לֶב־אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם׃

14Whereupon David said to all the courtiers who were with him in Yerushalayim, “Let us flee at once, or none of us will escape from Avshalom. We must get away quickly, or he will soon overtake us and bring down disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”

ידוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לְכָל־עֲבָדָיו אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ בִירוּשָׁלִַם קוּמוּ וְנִבְרָחָה כִּי לֹא־תִהְיֶה־לָּנוּ פְלֵיטָה מִפְּנֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם מַהֲרוּ לָלֶכֶת פֶּן־יְמַהֵר וְהִשִּׂגָנוּ וְהִדִּיחַ עָלֵינוּ אֶת־הָרָעָה וְהִכָּה הָעִיר לְפִי־חָרֶב׃

15The king's courtiers said to the king, “Whatever our lord the king decides, your servants are ready.”

טווַיֹּאמְרוּ עַבְדֵי־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה עֲבָדֶיךָ׃

16So the king left, followed by his entire household, except for ten concubines whom the king left to mind the palace.

טזוַיֵּצֵא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכָל־בֵּיתוֹ בְּרַגְלָיו וַיַּעֲזֹב הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת עֶשֶׂר נָשִׁים פִּלַגְשִׁים לִשְׁמֹר הַבָּיִת׃

17The king left, followed by all the people, and they stopped at the last house.

יזוַיֵּצֵא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכָל־הָעָם בְּרַגְלָיו וַיַּעַמְדוּ בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק׃

18All his followers marched past him, including all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites; and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had accompanied him from Gath, also marched by the king.

יחוְכָל־עֲבָדָיו עֹבְרִים עַל־יָדוֹ וְכָל־הַכְּרֵתִי וְכָל־הַפְּלֵתִי וְכָל־הַגִּתִּים שֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּאוּ בְרַגְלוֹ מִגַּת עֹבְרִים עַל־פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

19And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you too go with us? Go back and stay with the [new] king, for you are a foreigner and you are also an exile from your country.

יטוַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־אִתַּי הַגִּתִּי לָמָּה תֵלֵךְ גַּם־אַתָּה אִתָּנוּ שׁוּב וְשֵׁב עִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי־נָכְרִי אַתָּה וְגַם־גֹּלֶה אַתָּה לִמְקוֹמֶךָ׃

20You came only yesterday; should I make you wander about with us today, when I myself must go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kinsmen with you, [in] true faithfulness.”

כתְּמוֹל בּוֹאֶךָ וְהַיּוֹם אנועך [אֲנִיעֲךָ] עִמָּנוּ לָלֶכֶת וַאֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ עַל אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ שׁוּב וְהָשֵׁב אֶת־אַחֶיךָ עִמָּךְ חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת׃

21Ittai replied to the king, “As Hashem lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, there your servant will be, whether for death or for life!”

כאוַיַּעַן אִתַּי אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמַר חַי־יְהֹוָה וְחֵי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי אִם־בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה־שָּׁם אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אִם־לְמָוֶת אִם־לְחַיִּים כִּי־שָׁם יִהְיֶה עַבְדֶּךָ׃

22And David said to Ittai, “Then march by.” And Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the children who were with him marched by.

כבוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל־אִתַּי לֵךְ וַעֲבֹר וַיַּעֲבֹר אִתַּי הַגִּתִּי וְכָל־אֲנָשָׁיו וְכָל־הַטַּף אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ׃

23The whole countryside wept aloud as the troops marched by. The king crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the troops crossed by the road to the wilderness.

כגוְכָל־הָאָרֶץ בּוֹכִים קוֹל גָּדוֹל וְכָל־הָעָם עֹבְרִים וְהַמֶּלֶךְ עֹבֵר בְּנַחַל קִדְרוֹן וְכָל־הָעָם עֹבְרִים עַל־פְּנֵי־דֶרֶךְ אֶת־הַמִּדְבָּר׃

24Then Tzadok appeared, with all the Leviim carrying the Aron Brit Hashem; and they set down the Aron of Hashem until all the people had finished marching out of the city. Evyatar also came up.

כדוְהִנֵּה גַם־צָדוֹק וְכָל־הַלְוִיִּם אִתּוֹ נֹשְׂאִים אֶת־אֲרוֹן בְּרִית הָאֱלֹהִים וַיַּצִּקוּ אֶת־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וַיַּעַל אֶבְיָתָר עַד־תֹּם כָּל־הָעָם לַעֲבוֹר מִן־הָעִיר׃

25But the king said to Tzadok, “Take the Aron of Hashem back to the city. If I find favor with Hashem, He will bring me back and let me see it and its abode.

כהוַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְצָדוֹק הָשֵׁב אֶת־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים הָעִיר אִם־אֶמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה וֶהֱשִׁבַנִי וְהִרְאַנִי אֹתוֹ וְאֶת־נָוֵהוּ׃

26And if He should say, ‘I do not want you,' I am ready; let Him do with me as He pleases.”

כווְאִם כֹּה יֹאמַר לֹא חָפַצְתִּי בָּךְ הִנְנִי יַעֲשֶׂה־לִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר טוֹב בְּעֵינָיו׃

27And the king said to the Kohen Tzadok, “Do you understand? You return to the safety of the city with your two sons, your own son Ahimaaz and Evyatar's son Yehonatan.

כזוַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־צָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן הֲרוֹאֶה אַתָּה שֻׁבָה הָעִיר בְּשָׁלוֹם וַאֲחִימַעַץ בִּנְךָ וִיהוֹנָתָן בֶּן־אֶבְיָתָר שְׁנֵי בְנֵיכֶם אִתְּכֶם׃

28Look, I shall linger in the steppes of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

כחרְאוּ אָנֹכִי מִתְמַהְמֵהַּ בעברות [בְּעַרְבוֹת] הַמִּדְבָּר עַד בּוֹא דָבָר מֵעִמָּכֶם לְהַגִּיד לִי׃

29Tzadok and Evyatar brought the Aron of Hashem back to Yerushalayim, and they stayed there.

כטוַיָּשֶׁב צָדוֹק וְאֶבְיָתָר אֶת־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם׃

30David meanwhile went up the slope of the [Mount of] Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he walked barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they went up.

v'-da-VID o-LEH v'-ma-a-LAY ha-zay-TEEM o-LEH u-vo-KHEH v'-ROSH LO kha-FUY v'-HU ho-LAYKH ya-KHAYF v'-khol ha-AM a-sher i-TO kha-FU EESH ro-SHO v'-a-LU a-LOH u-va-KHOH

לוְדָוִד עֹלֶה בְמַעֲלֵה הַזֵּיתִים עֹלֶה וּבוֹכֶה וְרֹאשׁ לוֹ חָפוּי וְהוּא הֹלֵךְ יָחֵף וְכָל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ חָפוּ אִישׁ רֹאשׁוֹ וְעָלוּ עָלֹה וּבָכֹה׃

31David [was] told that Achitofel was among the conspirators with Avshalom, and he prayed, “Please, Hashem, frustrate Achitofel's counsel!”

לאוְדָוִד הִגִּיד לֵאמֹר אֲחִיתֹפֶל בַּקֹּשְׁרִים עִם־אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד סַכֶּל־נָא אֶת־עֲצַת אֲחִיתֹפֶל יְהֹוָה׃

32When David reached the top, where people would prostrate themselves to Hashem, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him, with his robe torn and with earth on his head.

לבוַיְהִי דָוִד בָּא עַד־הָרֹאשׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה שָׁם לֵאלֹהִים וְהִנֵּה לִקְרָאתוֹ חוּשַׁי הָאַרְכִּי קָרוּעַ כֻּתָּנְתּוֹ וַאֲדָמָה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ׃

33David said to him, “If you march on with me, you will be a burden to me.

לגוַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ דָּוִד אִם עָבַרְתָּ אִתִּי וְהָיִתָ עָלַי לְמַשָּׂא׃

34But if you go back to the city and say to Avshalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; I was your father's servant formerly, and now I will be yours,' then you can nullify Achitofel's counsel for me.

לדוְאִם־הָעִיר תָּשׁוּב וְאָמַרְתָּ לְאַבְשָׁלוֹם עַבְדְּךָ אֲנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶהְיֶה עֶבֶד אָבִיךָ וַאֲנִי מֵאָז וְעַתָּה וַאֲנִי עַבְדֶּךָ וְהֵפַרְתָּה לִי אֵת עֲצַת אֲחִיתֹפֶל׃

35You will have the Kohanim Tzadok and Evyatar there, and you can report everything that you hear in the king's palace to the Kohanim Tzadok and Evyatar.

להוַהֲלוֹא עִמְּךָ שָׁם צָדוֹק וְאֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהָיָה כָּל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמַע מִבֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ תַּגִּיד לְצָדוֹק וּלְאֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֲנִים׃

36Also, their two sons are there with them, Tzadok's son Ahimaaz and Evyatar's son Yehonatan; and through them you can report to me everything you hear.”

לוהִנֵּה־שָׁם עִמָּם שְׁנֵי בְנֵיהֶם אֲחִימַעַץ לְצָדוֹק וִיהוֹנָתָן לְאֶבְיָתָר וּשְׁלַחְתֶּם בְּיָדָם אֵלַי כָּל־דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמָעוּ׃

37And so Hushai, the friend of David, reached the city as Avshalom was entering Yerushalayim.

לזוַיָּבֹא חוּשַׁי רֵעֶה דָוִד הָעִיר וְאַבְשָׁלֹם יָבֹא יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃