17
1 Moreover Ahithophel said
to Absalom, “Let
me now choose
twelve thousand men,
and I will
arise and pursue
after David
tonight.
2 I
will come on
him while he
is weary and
exhausted, and
will make him
afraid. All the
people who are
with him will
flee. I will
strike the king
only,
3 and
I will bring
back all the
people to you.
The man whom
you seek is
as if all
returned. All the
people shall be
in peace.”
4 The
saying pleased Absalom
well, and all
the elders of
Israel.
5 Then Absalom
said, “Now call
Hushai the Archite
also, and let’s
hear likewise what
he says.”
6 When
Hushai had come
to Absalom, Absalom spoke
to him, saying,
“Ahithophel has spoken
like this. Shall
we do what
he says? If not,
speak up.”
7 Hushai said
to Absalom, “The
counsel that Ahithophel
has given this
time is not
good.”
8 Hushai said
moreover, “You
know your father
and his men,
that they are
mighty men, and
they are fierce
in their minds,
like a bear
robbed of her
cubs in the
field. Your father
is a man
of war, and
will not lodge
with the people.
9 Behold,
he is now
hidden in some
pit, or in
some other place.
It will happen,
when some of
them have fallen
at the first,
that whoever hears
it will say, ‘There
is a slaughter
among the people
who follow Absalom!’
10 Even
he who is
valiant, whose
heart is as
the heart of
a lion, will
utterly melt; for
all Israel knows
that your father
is a mighty
man, and those
who are with
him are valiant
men.
11 But
I counsel that
all Israel be
gathered together
to you, from
Dan even
to Beersheba, as
the sand that
is by the
sea for multitude;
and that you
go to battle
in your own
person.
12 So
we will come
on him in
some place where
he will be
found, and we
will light on him
as the dew
falls on the
ground, then we
will not leave
so much as
one of him
and of all
the men who
are with him.
13 Moreover,
if he has
gone into a
city, then all
Israel will bring
ropes to that
city, and we
will draw it
into the river,
until there isn’t
one small stone
found there.”
14 Absalom and
all the men
of Israel said, “The
counsel of Hushai
the Archite is
better than the
counsel of Ahithophel.”
For the LORD
had ordained to
defeat the good
counsel of Ahithophel,
to the intent
that the LORD
might bring evil
on Absalom.
15 Then
Hushai said to
Zadok and
to Abiathar the
priests, “Ahithophel
counseled Absalom and
the elders of
Israel that way;
and I have
counseled this way.
16 Now
therefore send
quickly, and tell
David, saying, ‘Don’t lodge
tonight at the
fords of the
wilderness, but by
all means pass
over, lest the
king be swallowed
up, and all
the people who
are with him.’ ”
17 Now
Jonathan and Ahimaaz
were staying by En
Rogel; and a
female servant used
to go and
report to them,
and they went
and told King
David; for
they couldn’t risk being seen
coming into the
city.
18 But
a boy saw
them, and
told Absalom. Then
they both went
away quickly and
came to the
house of a
man in Bahurim,
who had a well in
his court; and
they went down
there.
19 The woman
took and spread
the covering over
the well’s mouth,
and spread out
crushed grain on
it; and nothing
was known.
20 Absalom’s
servants came to
the woman to
the house; and
they said, “Where
are Ahimaaz and
Jonathan?”
The woman said to
them, “They have
gone over the
brook of water.”
When they had
sought and could
not find them,
they returned to
Jerusalem.
21 After
they had departed,
they came up
out of the well
and went and
told King David;
and they said to
David, “Arise and
pass quickly over
the water; for
thus has Ahithophel
counseled against
you.”
22 Then
David arose, and
all the people
who were with
him, and they
passed over the
Jordan. By the
morning light there
lacked not one
of them who
had not gone
over the Jordan.
23 When Ahithophel saw
that his counsel
was not followed,
he saddled his
donkey, arose, and
went home to
his city, set
his house in
order, and hanged
himself; and he
died, and was
buried in the
tomb of his father.
24 Then
David came to
Mahanaim. Absalom passed
over the Jordan,
he and all
the men of
Israel with him.
25 Absalom set
Amasa over the
army instead of
Joab. Now Amasa
was the son
of a man
whose name was
Ithra the
Israelite, who
went in to Abigail
the daughter of
Nahash, sister to
Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.
26 Israel
and Absalom encamped
in the land of
Gilead.
27 When
David had come
to Mahanaim, Shobi
the son of
Nahash of Rabbah
of the children
of Ammon, and
Machir the son
of Ammiel of
Lodebar, and
Barzillai the
Gileadite of
Rogelim,
28 brought
beds, basins,
earthen vessels,
wheat, barley,
meal, parched
grain, beans,
lentils, roasted
grain,
29 honey,
butter, sheep, and
cheese of the
herd, for David
and for the
people who were
with him to eat;
for they said, “The
people are hungry,
weary, and thirsty
in the wilderness.”