17. And the king went forth and all the people after him and stopped in a place that was far off.
18. And all his slaves passed to his side, and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come on foot with him from Gath, went before the king.
19. Then the king said to Ittai, the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? Return to thy place and abide with the king; for thou art a stranger and also an exile.
20. Whereas thou didst come but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? Seeing I go where I go, return thou and take back thy brethren; mercy and truth are in thee.
21. And Ittai answered the king and said, As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, for life or for death, wherever my lord the king shall be, there also will thy slave be.
22. Then David said to Ittai, Go, therefore, and pass. And Ittai, the Gittite, passed and all his men and all the little ones that were with him.
23. And all those of the land wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed the brook Kidron; and then the king also passed, and all the people passed unto the way of the wilderness.
24. And behold Zadok also and with him all the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God. And Abiathar went up after all the people had finished leaving the city.
25. But the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city; if I shall find grace in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again and show me both it and his tabernacle.
26. But if he should say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here I am, let him do to me as seems good unto him.
27. The king said also unto Zadok, the priest, Art not thou a seer? Return into the city in peace and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz, thy son, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar.
28. See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness until you send word to me.
29. Then Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30. And David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet and wept as he went up and had his head covered, and he went barefoot. And all the people that were with him covered each one his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
31. And it was told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. Then David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into folly.