2 Samuel 17

1 Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David.

2 I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king

3 and bring all the people back to you as a bride returning to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; then all the people will be at peace.”

4 This proposal seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite as well, and let us hear what he too has to say.”

6 So Hushai came to Absalom, who told him, “Ahithophel has spoken this proposal. Should we carry it out? If not, what do you say?”

7 Hushai replied, “This time the advice of Ahithophel is not sound.”

8 He continued, “You know your father and his men. They are mighty men, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Moreover, your father is a man of war who will not spend the night with the troops.

9 Surely by now he is hiding in a cave or some other location. If some of your troops fall first, whoever hears of it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’

10 Then even the most valiant soldier with the heart of a lion will melt with fear, because all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man who has valiant men with him.

11 Instead, I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beersheba—a multitude like the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, and that you yourself lead them into battle.

12 Then we will attack David wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. And of all the men with him, not even one will remain.

13 If he retreats to a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not even a pebble can be found there.”

14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

15 So Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “This is what Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I have advised.

16 Now send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but be sure to cross over. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’”

17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, for they dared not be seen entering the city.

18 But a young man did see them and told Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.

19 Then the man’s wife took a covering, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain over it so nobody would know a thing.

20 When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They have crossed over the brook,” she replied. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.

21 After the men had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed up out of the well and went to inform King David, saying, “Get up and cross over the river at once, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you.”

22 So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one left who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

24 Then David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.

25 Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.

26 So the Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27 When David came to Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.

28 They brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,

29 honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”

1 ¶ Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:

2 And I will come upon him while he [is] weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that [are] with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:

3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.

4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.

6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do [after] his saying? if not; speak thou.

7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given [is] not good at this time.

8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men, and they [be] chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some [other] place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.

10 And he also [that is] valiant, whose heart [is] as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father [is] a mighty man, and [they] which [be] with him [are] valiant men.

11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that [is] by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that [are] with him there shall not be left so much as one.

13 Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.

14 And 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 appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

15 ¶ Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that [are] with him.

17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.

18 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.

19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.

20 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where [is] Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find [them], they returned to Jerusalem.

21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

22 ¶ Then David arose, and all the people that [were] with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled [his] ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa [was] a man's son, whose name [was] Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.

27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that 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, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched [corn], and beans, and lentiles, and parched [pulse],

29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that [were] with him, to eat: for they said, The people [is] hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

1 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, I will number twelve thousand men, and will arise and pursue David by night.

2 And I will overtake him, because he is faint and lukewarm. And it shall come to pass, when I have made him afraid, that all the people that are with him shall flee, that I will smite the king alone.

3 And bring all the people again unto thee. And it shall come to pass, when every man is brought unto thee according to thy desire, that all the people shall dwell in peace.

4 It seemed good unto Absalom, and to all the elders of Israel.

5 And Absalom said, Let Hushai the Arachite also call, and hear what he saith.

6 And when Hushai came in unto Absalom, Absalom said unto him, Ahithophel hath spoken these things: say thou, shall we do it, or shall we not do it?

7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, It is not good counsel that Ahithophel hath given this time.

8 And Hushai said again, Thou knowest thy father well, and his men, that they are strong, and of a fierce spirit, like a bear whose young are taken in a field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not fail with the people.

9 Behold, he hath hid himself perhaps in a pit, or in some other place. And it shall come to pass, when the first evil shall come, that there shall be a cry, saying, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom,

10 Then every man that is a warrior, and that hath a heart like a lion, shall be despondent. For all Israel knoweth that thy father is strong, and that there are warriors with him.

11 But this I counsel, that thou gather unto thee all Israel, from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, as the sand of the sea; and that thou set thy person among them.

12 So we will overtake him in what place we find him, and will come upon him as the dew falls upon the earth, that we will not leave one in him, nor in any of his men.

13 And if he gather himself into a city, then all Israel shall cast ropes upon that city, and pull it into the river, that there be not a pebble found in it.

14 Then said Absalom and all Israel, The counsel of Hushai the Arachite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. And the LORD sent to prevent the good counsel of Ahithophel, that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

15 And Hushai said unto Zadok and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel: but I have counseled thus and thus.

16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Dwell not in the wilderness overnight, but pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

17 And Jonathan and Ahimaaz sat by the well of Rogel, and a maid went and told them. And they went and told king David: for they were not to be seen coming into the city.

18 And a lad saw them, and told Absalom. And the two went in haste, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; thither they went in.

19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's hole, and spread gruel over it, that it should not be known.

20 And when Absalom's servants came into the house to the woman, they said: Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They went over the brook. And when they sought, and found not, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 And when they were departed, they came up out of the well, and went and told David the king, and said unto David, Arise, and pass over the waters in haste: for thus and thus hath Ahithophel counseled against you.

22 Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and passed over Jordan, until the morning light: and there was not one lacking that passed not over Jordan.

23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not departed from, he saddled his ass, and arose, and went home to his own city, and filled his house, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in his father's sepulchre.

24 And David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, and all the men of Israel with him.

25 And Absalom had set Amasa in Joab's stead over the host. And Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Jethra, an Israelite, which lay with Abigail the daughter of Nahah, the sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

26 And Israel and Absalom encamped in Gilead.

27 And when David was come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Naha, of Rabbath, of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel, of Lodabar, and Barzillai the Giladite, of Roglim

28 bedding, basin, earthen vessel, wheat, barley, flour, sangs, beans, lentils, groats.

29 And honey, and butter, and sheep's milk, and oxen's milk, to David, and to the people that were with him, to eat. For they thought, The people shall be hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.