15 ¹ AFTER THIS, ABSALOM PROVIDED himself with a chariot and horses and an escort of fifty men. 15 ² He made it a practice to rise early and stand beside the road which runs through the city gate. He would hail every man who had a case to bring before the king for judgement and would ask him what city he came from. When he answered, 'I come, sir, from such and such a tribe of Israel', 15 ³ Absalom would say to him, 'I can see that you have a very good case, but you will get no hearing from the king.' 15 ⁴ And he would add, 'If only I were appointed judge in the land, it would be my business to see that everyone who brought a suit or a claim got justice from me.' 15 ⁵ Whenever a man approached to prostrate himself, Absalom would stretch out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 15 ⁶ By behaving like this to every Israelite who sought the king's justice, Absalom stole the affections of the Israelites.

15 ⁷ At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, 'May I have leave now to go to Hebron to fulfil a vow there that I made to the LORD? 15 ⁸ For when I lived in Geshur, in Aram, I made this vow: "If the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will become a worshipper of the LORD in Hebron." ' 15 ⁹ The king answered, 'Certainly you may go'; so he set off for Hebron at once. 15 ¹⁰ Absalom sent runners through all the tribes of Israel with this message: 'As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, "Absalom is king in Hebron." ' 15 ¹¹ Two hundred men accompanied Absalom from Jerusalem; they were invited and went in all innocence, knowing nothing of the affair. 15 ¹² Absalom also sent to summon Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from Giloh his city, where he was offering the customary sacrifices. The conspiracy gathered strength, and Absalom's supporters increased in number.