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The king left, and all the people with him, and they stopped at the last house.

Now all of his servants passed by beside him, and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed by before the king.

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you go with us too? Return and stay with your king, since you are a foreigner and an exile as well; return to your own place.

"You came only yesterday, so should I make you wander with us today, while I go wherever I go? Return and take your brothers back; mercy and truth be with you."

Then David said to Ittai, "Go and cross over the brook Kidron." So Ittai the Gittite crossed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people were crossing over. The king was also crossing over the brook Kidron, and all the people were crossing over toward the way of the wilderness.

Now behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar came up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city.

The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

And David was going up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, and his head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his own head, and they were going up, weeping as they went.

Now someone informed David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "LORD, please make the advice of Ahithophel foolish."

It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn, and dust on his head.

And David said to him, "If you go over with me, then you will become a burden to me.

"Are Zadok and Abiathar the priests not with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king's house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

"Behold their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them you shall send me everything that you hear."

Now when David had gone on a little beyond the summit, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a team of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine.

And the king and all the people who were with him arrived exhausted, and he refreshed himself there.

Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

But Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?"

So Hushai said to Absalom, "No! For whomever the LORD, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I shall be, and with him I shall remain.

Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Have relations with your father's concubines, whom he has left behind to take care of the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened."