³⁰But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went. ³¹Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” ³²When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. ³³David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. ³⁴But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’ ³⁵Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace. ³⁶Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.” ³⁷So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.