13 A messenger came to David, saying, “The Israelites are giving their loyalty to Absalom.”
14 Then David said to all his officers who were with him in Jerusalem, “We must leave quickly! If we don’t, we won’t be able to get away from Absalom. We must hurry before he catches us and destroys us and kills the people of Jerusalem.”
15 The king’s officers said to him, “We will do anything you say.”
16 The king set out with everyone in his house, but he left ten slave women to take care of the palace.
17 The king left with all his people following him, and they stopped at a house far away.
18 All the king’s servants passed by him—the Kerethites and Pelethites, all those from Gath, and the six hundred men who had followed him.
19 The king said to Ittai, a man from Gath, “Why are you also going with us? Turn back and stay with King Absalom because you are a foreigner. This is not your homeland.