2 Samuel 15:18-20

Contemporary English Version

¹⁸ Then David stood there and watched while his regular troops and his bodyguards^[a] marched past. The last group was the 600 soldiers who had followed him from Gath.^[b] Their commander was Ittai.

¹⁹ David spoke to Ittai and said, “You're a foreigner from the town of Gath. You don't have to leave with us. Go back and join the new king! ²⁰ You haven't been with me very long, so why should you have to follow me, when I don't even know where I'm going? Take your soldiers and go back. I pray that the Lord will be^[c] kind and faithful to you.”