3. Absalom would say, “You deserve to win your case. But the king doesn't have anyone to hear complaints like yours.
4. I wish someone would make me the judge around here! I would be fair to everyone.”
5. Whenever anyone would come to Absalom and start bowing down, he would reach out and hug and kiss them.
6. That's how he treated everyone from Israel who brought a complaint to the king. Soon everyone in Israel liked Absalom better than they liked David.
7. Four years later, Absalom said to David, “Please, let me go to Hebron. I have to keep a promise that I made to the Lord,
8. when I was living with the Arameans in Geshur. I promised that if the Lord would bring me back to live in Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron.”
9. David gave his permission, and Absalom went to Hebron.
13. A messenger came and told David, “Everyone in Israel is on Absalom's side!”
14. David's officials were in Jerusalem with him, and he told them, “Let's get out of here! We'll have to leave soon, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry! If he moves fast, he could catch us while we're still here. Then he will kill us and everyone else in the city.”
15. The officials said, “Your Majesty, we'll do whatever you say.”
18. Then David stood there and watched while his regular troops and his bodyguards marched past. The last group was the six hundred soldiers who had followed him from Gath. Their commander was Ittai.