1Tom qab no, Axaloos npaj tau ib lub tsheb nees thiab ob tug txiv nees thiab tsib caug leej txivneej mus ua nws ntej. 2Axaloos pheej sawv ntxov mus sawv ntawm ntug kev ze lub roojvag nroog. Thaum muaj neeg tuaj xav kom vajntxwv nrog tu plaub ntug, Axaloos txawm hu nws los thiab nug saib nws tuaj qhov twg tuaj. Thaum uas tus neeg ntawd qhia rau Axaloos hais tias nws yog xeem twg lawm, 3Axaloos hais rau nws hais tias, “Koj yog tus yeej cai lawm, tiamsis vajntxwv tsis tau tsa leejtwg los ua tus sawv nws cev tu koj rooj plaub no.” 4Thiab Axaloos hais ntxiv hais tias, “Kheev lam yog kuv tau ua tus tu plaub ntug! Yog muaj leej twg muaj plaub ntug tuaj cuag kuv, kuv yuav tu nws tej plaub ntug kom ncaj ncees.” 5Thaum tus neeg ntawd txav zog los hawm Axaloos, Axaloos puag nkaus tus ntawd thiab nwj kiag. 6Axaloos ua li ntawd rau cov Yixalayees txhua tus uas tuaj thov vajntxwv pab tu lawv tej plaub ntug. Yog li ntawd, lawv thiaj hwm Axaloos heev. 7Tom qab ntawd plaub xyoos, Axaloos thov Vajntxwv Daviv hais tias, “Vajntxwv, thov cia kuv mus nram Henploos thiab muab khoom fij rau tus TSWV raws li kuv tau coglus tseg. 8Thaum kuv tseem nyob hauv lub nroog Nkesus pem tebchaws Xilias, kuv tau coglus rau tus TSWV hais tias, yog nws coj kuv rov los rau hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees, kuv yuav mus pehawm nws hauv Henploos.” 9Vajntxwv tso lus hais tias, “Koj cia li mus kaj siab lug.” Yog li ntawd, Axaloos thiaj mus rau nram Henploos lawm. 10Tiamsis Axaloos txib neeg mus hais rau txhua xeem Yixalayees hais tias, “Thaum twg nej hnov suab raj suab xyu nrov, nej cia li qw hais tias, ‘Axaloos ua vajntxwv kav lub nroog Henploos lawm!’ ” 11Axaloos caw tau ob puas leej txivneej hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees nrog nws mus; lawv tsis paub dabtsi li. Lawv thiaj zoo siab ua ntsejmuag luag ntxhi nrog Axaloos mus. 12Ces thaum Axaloos tabtom hlawv tsiaj ua khoom fij, Axaloos txib neeg mus hu Ahithaufees uas yog Vajntxwv Daviv tus tuavxam hauv lub nroog Nkilaus tuaj cuag Axaloos. Txojkev ntxeev siab tawmtsam Vajntxwv Daviv muaj zog heev zuj zus tuaj, thiab cov neeg uas tuaj Axaloos tog coob zuj zus ntxiv.
Daviv Khiav Tawm Hauv Nroog Yeluxalees
13Muaj neeg mus qhia rau Daviv hais tias, “Cov pejxeem Yixalayees twb coglus tuaj Axaloos tog lawm.” 14Yog li ntawd, Daviv thiaj hais rau nws cov nomtswv uas nrog nws nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees hais tias, “Peb yuav tsum khiav tamsim no, tej zaum ib pliag saum no Axaloos yuav tuaj txog, nws yuav tua yeej peb thiab yuav muab txhua tus uas nyob hauv lub nroog no tua huv tibsi. Yog peb xav kom peb dim ntawm Axaloos txhais tes, peb cia li khiav tamsim no ntag!” 15Lawv teb hais tias, “Vajntxwv, peb yeej tos nrhw yuav ua txhua yam li koj hais.” 16Yog li ntawd, vajntxwv thiaj nrog nws tsevneeg thiab nws cov nomtswv tawm khiav, tsuas tseg nws kaum tus niamyau nyob tu lub loog xwb. 17Thaum vajntxwv thiab nws cov tubrog tawm hauv lub nroog mus, lawv mus txoos ua ke rau ntawm lub tsev tom kawg. 18Tagnrho nws cov nomtswv puavleej sawv ntawm vajntxwv hauv ntej, cia cov tubrog fajxwm mus ua nws ntej. Thiab rau pua leej tubrog hauv lub nroog Nkas uas tuaj nws tog los puavleej mus ua nws ntej huv tibsi thiab. 19Vajntxwv hais rau Ithais uas yog lawv tus thawjcoj hais tias, “Vim li cas koj thiaj nrog peb mus? Koj yog neeg txawv tebchaws uas khiav hauv koj lub tebchaws tuaj nkaum hauv lub tebchaws no xwb. Koj cia li rov qab mus nrog tus vajntxwv tshiab nyob. 20Koj nyuam qhuav tuaj nyob hauv no tau ib ntu xwb, kuv yuav ua li cas coj koj nrog kuv mus? Kuv twb tsis paub xyov kuv yuav mus qhovtwg. Koj cia li coj koj cov neeg nrog koj rov qab, thov tus TSWV ua zoo thiab ua ncaj rau koj.” 21Tiamsis Ithais teb hais tias, “Vajntxwv, kuv thov tuav tus TSWV lub npe coglus rau koj hais tias, koj mus qhov twg kuv yuav nrog koj mus qhov ntawd, txawm yog yuav ciaj thiab tuag los xij peem.” 22Daviv teb hais tias, “Zoo lawm! Cia li mus!” Yog li ntawd, Ithais thiaj nrog Daviv cov neeg thiab lawv tej pojniam menyuam mus lawm. 23Thaum Daviv cov neeg sawv kev mus tu qab lawm, cov pejxeem tsa hlo suab quaj. Vajntxwv thiaj hla lub Hav Kiloos mus raws nws cov neeg qab, thiab lawv mus rau tom tiaj suabpuam lawm. 24Tus povthawj Xadaus thiab cov Levis uas kwv lub Phijxab uas ntim Vajtswv tej lus cog tseg nrog nraim Daviv. Lawv muab lub phijxab txo tsis kwv mus txog thaum uas cov neeg khiav tawm hauv lub nroog tas lawm. Tus povthawj Anpiyathas los nrog lawv nyob ntawd thiab. 25Vajntxwv hais rau Xadaus hais tias, “Nej cia li kwv lub Phijxab rov qab mus cia rau hauv nroog. Yog tus TSWV txaus siab rau kuv tiag, muaj ib hnub nws yuav coj kuv rov qab los pom lub Phijxab thiab qhov chaw uas cia lub Phijxab no dua. 26Tiamsis yog nws tsis pom zoo rau kuv rov los, ces nws yuav ua li cas rau kuv los nyob ntawm nws pom zoo.” 27Thiab Daviv hais rau Xadaus hais tias, “Koj puas yog tus uas pom yav tom ntej? Cia li coj koj tus tub Ahima-as thiab Anpiyathas tus tub Yaunathas rov qab mus nyob hauv nroog kaj siab lug. 28Lub sijhawm no, kuv yuav mus nyob ntawm tus dej uas hla mus rau tom tiaj suabpuam tos mus txog thaum kuv tau txais koj tej xov tso.” 29Yog li ntawd, Xadaus thiab Anpiyathas thiaj kwv lub Phijxab uas ntim Vajtswv tej lus cog tseg rov los cia rau hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees thiab nkawd los nyob rau hauv lawm. 30Daviv nce mus quaj saum roob txiv ntoo roj; Daviv hle khau thiab muab ntaub kauv nws taubhau rau qhov nws tu siab heev. Txhua tus uas nrog Daviv mus puavleej muab ntaub kauv taubhau thiab quaj ib yam nkaus. 31Thaum muaj neeg mus qhia rau Daviv hais tias, Ahithaufees koom tes nrog Axaloos ntxeev siab lawm, Daviv thiaj thov Vajtswv hais tias, “Tus TSWV, thov koj cia li muab Ahithaufees tej tswvyim hloov kom tsis muaj qabhau!” 32Thaum Daviv nce nto plaws saum lub ncov roob uas yog qhov chaw pehawm Vajtswv, Daviv tus phoojywg Husais uas yog cov neeg Alekhis, tus uas Daviv ntseeg siab tshaj plaws thiaj tuaj ntsib Daviv, Husais muab nws cev ris tsho dua ntuag ua kaj niab thiab tsuab av rau saum taubhau. 33Daviv hais rau Husais hais tias, “Yog koj nrog kuv mus los koj yuav pab tsis tau kuv dabtsi, 34tiamsis yog koj rov mus rau hauv lub nroog thiab hais rau Axaloos hais tias txij no mus koj yuav ua tus tu Axaloos ntawm lub siab ncaj ncees ib yam li koj tu nws txiv. Koj thiaj yog tus uas muaj cuabkav tav tau tej lus uas Ahithaufees hais. 35Xadaus thiab Anpiyathas uas yog ob tug povthawj los tseem nyob hauv, txhua yam uas koj mus hnov hauv vajntxwv lub loog cia li piav qhia rau nkawd mloog. 36Ahima-as thiab Yaunathas uas yog nkawd ob tug tub puavleej nrog nkawd nyob hauv thiab, koj cia li kom nkawd xa txhua lo lus uas koj hnov tuaj qhia rau kuv paub huv tibsi.” 37Yog li ntawd, Husais uas yog Daviv tus phoojywg thiaj rov qab mus txog rau hauv lub nroog tom thawj thaum Axaloos los txog ntua thiab.
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Absalom’s Conspiracy
1In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” 4And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.” 5Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel. 7At the end of four⚓ years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the Lord. 8While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.⚓ ’ ” 9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron. 10Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’ ” 11Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. 12While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.
David Flees
13A messenger came and told David, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.” 14Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword.” 15The king’s officials answered him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.” 16The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. 18All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king. 19The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. 20You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”⚓ 21But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.” 22David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him. 23The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness. 24Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city. 25Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. 26But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.” 27The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons. 28I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there. 30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 31Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.” 32When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. 33David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. 34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice. 35Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace. 36Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.” 37So Hushai, David’s confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.