Absalom rebelled against David

15 Some time later, Absalom acquired a chariot and horses to pull it. He hired 50 men to run in front of him to honor him while he was riding around Jerusalem in the chariot. 2 Furthermore, he always rose early each morning and stood by the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute/quarrel that he wanted the king to decide, Absalom would call out to him, asking “What city are you from?” When the person told him what city and tribe he was from, 3 Absalom would say to him, “Listen, I am sure that what you are saying/claiming is right. But there is no one whom the king has appointed/authorized to listen to people like you.” 4 Absalom would then add, “I wish that I were a judge in this land. If I were a judge, anyone who had a dispute could come to me, and I would decide it fairly/justly.”

5 And whenever anyone came near to Absalom to bow respectfully in front of him, Absalom would reach out and embrace him and kiss him. 6 Absalom did this to everyone in Israel who came to the king because of having a dispute with someone. In that way, Absalom persuaded all the Israeli people to be more pleased with him [IDM] than they were pleased with David.

7 Four years later, Absalom went to the king and said, “Please allow me to go to Hebron city, in order that I can do what I promised Yahweh that I would do. 8 When I was living in Geshur, in Syria, I promised Yahweh that if he brought me back to Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron.”

9 The king replied, “You may go.” So Absalom went to Hebron.

10 But while he was there, he secretly sent messengers to all the tribes in Israel, to tell them, “When you hear the sound of the trumpets being blown, shout ‘Absalom has become the king at Hebron!’ ” 11 Absalom had taken with him to Hebron 200 men from Jerusalem, but they did not know what Absalom was planning to do. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices at Hebron, he sent a message to Ahithophel, from Giloh town, requesting him to come. Ahithophel was one of the king’s advisors. So the number of people who joined Absalom and who were ready to rebel against David became larger.