As the priests turned back toward Jerusalem a deeper shadow fell upon the departing throng. Their king a fugitive, themselves outcasts, forsaken even by the ark of God--the future was dark with terror and foreboding. "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 was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." Again David was forced to recognize in his calamities the results of his own sin. The defection of Ahithophel, the ablest and most wily of political leaders, was prompted by revenge for the family disgrace involved in the wrong to Bathsheba, who was his granddaughter.

Da præsterne drog tilbage til Jerusalem, var det, som om der sænkede sig en endnu mørkere sky over den bortdragende skare. Deres konge var flygtning, de var selv udstødt, Guds ark var ikke hos dem, og fremtiden var truende mørk. "Men David gik grædende op ad Oliebjerget med tilhyllet hoved og bare fødder, og alle krigerne, som fulgte ham, havde tilhyllet deres hoveder og gik grædende opefter. Da David fik at vide, at Akitofel var blandt de sammensvorne, som holdt med Absalom. ....." Atter engang måtte David se i øjnene, at hans ulykker skyldtes hans egen synd. Akitofel, der var den dygtigste og en af de mest snu af de politiske ledere, svigtede kongen, fordi han ville hævne den vanære, som familien var blevet udsat for; Batseba var nemlig hans sønnedatter.