撒母耳記下 17
1 阿希托費耳向說：「讓我選拔一萬二千人，今夜起程去追趕達味。
Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight.
2 正當他困乏疲倦時，我忽然趕到，使他驚惶失措，隨從他的人，必會逃散，我只把君王一人殺了，
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 然後人民來歸順你，像新娘回到新郎那裏；你只須害一人的性命，全民眾就都和平無事了」。
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 阿貝沙隆和以色列的眾長老，對這提議都很贊成。
The saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
5 阿貝沙隆說：「讓把阿爾基人胡瑟召來，我們也願聽聽他說什麼」。
Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let’s hear likewise what he says.”
6 胡瑟來到阿貝沙隆前，阿貝沙隆向他說：「阿希托費耳說出這樣的話，我們應按他的主意去行嗎﹖請你提議吧! 」
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 胡瑟回答阿貝沙隆說：「阿希托費耳這次所出的計謀卻是不妙」。
Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.”
8 胡瑟接著說：「你知道你父親和隨從他的人，都是勇將，現在心情惱怒，好像田野間喪子的母熊；何況，你父親又是歷戰陣的人，夜間決不會讓軍民安睡。
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 他現在必藏在一個山洞裏，或另一個地方；若起初我們的人就有傷亡，人們聽見必要說：跟隨阿貝沙隆的人，慘遭失敗；
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 那麼，連性情兇猛如獅子的壯士，也要灰心喪膽，因為全以色列人都知道你父親是個勇將，跟隨他的人，也都是驍勇的人。
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 我的計劃，是先把所有的以色列人集合在你身邊，從丹直到貝爾舍巴，像海邊沙粒那樣多，然後由你親自率領，前去征討；
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 他不論到那裏，我們也突然到那裏；像露一樣襲擊他，使他和跟隨他的人一個也不留下。
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 若他退入一座城內，全以色列就帶著繩索去攻擊那城，將那城拉到山谷裏，連一塊小石也不剩下」。
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 阿貝沙隆和全以色列人都說：「阿爾基人胡瑟的計謀比阿希托費耳的更為可取」。原是上主決定了要破壞阿希托費耳是好計謀，為給阿彼瑟降下災禍。
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 隨後，胡瑟報告匝多克和厄貝雅塔爾說：「阿希托費耳給阿貝沙隆和以色列長老出了那樣的計謀，我卻出了這樣的計謀。
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 現在，快派人去報告達味說：今夜不可在曠野的渡口露宿，要趕快過河，免得君王和隨從他的人民都遭殲滅」。
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 那時，約納堂和阿希瑪茲已在洛革泉傍等候，因怕被人看見，不敢進城；有個使女出來給他們傳信，他們就去報告達味君王。
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 但有一個少年人看見了他們，便向阿貝沙隆報告了；他們二人就急速逃匿，來到巴胡陵的一個人家裏，他院子裏有一口井，他們便下到井裏。
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 那家的婦女取了一個蓋子蓋在井口上，蓋子上又撒了些麥粒，免得有人注意。
The woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and spread out crushed grain on it; and nothing was known.
20 阿貝沙隆的差役來到那家的婦女前問說：「阿希瑪茲和約納堂在哪裏﹖那婦女答說：「他們早過了蓄水池」。差役就去搜索他們，卻沒有找著，便回了耶路撒冷。
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 差役走了以後，兩人就為井裏上來；去給達味君王報信，對達味說：「起身，趕快過河，因為阿希托費耳為害你們出了這樣的計謀」。
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 達味和隨從他的人就起身過了約旦河。到天亮時，沒有一個沒有過約旦河的。
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 阿希托費耳看見人不依從他的計謀，就備上驢，動身回家，回了本城，安排了自己的家務以後，就上吊死了。人將他埋在他父親的墳墓裏。
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 阿貝沙隆率領以色列人過約旦河時，達味已到了瑪哈納因。
Then David came to Mahanaim. Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
25 阿貝沙隆派阿瑪撒代約阿布為統帥。阿瑪撒是依市瑪耳人依特辣的兒子。依特辣曾走近過葉瑟的女兒，約阿布的母親，責魯雅的姐妹阿彼蓋耳。
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 以色列人同阿貝沙隆在基肋阿得一帶紮了營。
Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.
27 當達味來到瑪哈納因時，納哈士的兒子芍彼，由阿孟人民的辣巴城，阿米爾的兒子瑪基爾由羅德巴爾城，基肋阿得人巴爾齊來由洛革林城，
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 帶來了床、鋪蓋、杯盤、炊具、小麥、麵粉、炒麥、豆子、扁豆、
brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans, lentils, roasted grain,
29 蜂蜜、奶油、奶餅、牛肉和羊肉，供給達味和他的的人吃用，因為他們想：這些人經過了曠野，必定感到飢餓和疲勞。
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.”
