2 Samuel 17

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

Moreover Achithophel said unto Abshalom, Do let me now select twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night;

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

And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will terrify him; so that all the people that are with him will flee; and I will smite the king alone;

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.”

And I will bring back all the people unto thee: when all return [except] the man whom thou seekest, all the people will be in peace.

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

And the thing was pleasing in the eyes of Abshalom, and in the eyes of 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.”

Then said Abshalom, Do call now also Chushai the Arkite, and let us hear what he likewise beareth in his mouth.

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?”

And when Chushai was come to Abshalom, Abshalom said unto him, as followeth, Such words as these hath Achithophel spoken: shall we do after his words? if not, do thou speak.

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

And Chushai said unto Abshalom, The counsel that Achithophel hath given at this time is not good.

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.

And Chushai said, Thou well knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and are of an embittered spirit, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is also a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

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.’

Behold, he is now hidden in some one of the pits, or in some one of the [other] places: and it will come to pass, when some of them should fall at the first onset, that whosoever heareth it would say, There hath been slaughter among the people that follow Abshalom.

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.

And he also that is most valiant, whose heart is as the heart of the lion, would become quite discouraged; for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they who are with him are valiant persons.

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.

But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba', like the sand that is by the sea in multitude: while thou in thy own person goest into the fight.

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.

And when we come upon him in some one of the places where he may be found, we will encamp around him as the dew falleth on the earth: and there shall not be left of him and of all the men that are with him so much as one.

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.”

And if he should withdraw into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the stream, until there be not found there even one small stone.

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.

And Abshalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Chushai the Arkite is better than the counsel of Achithophel. But the Lord had ordained to frustrate the good counsel of Achithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring the evil upon Abshalom.

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.

Then said Chushai unto Zadok and to Ebyathar the priests, Thus and thus did Achithophel counsel Abshalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counseled.

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.’”

Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but rather pass over at once; lest the king be entirely ruined, and all the people that are with him.

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.

Now Jonathan and Achima'az were staying by 'En-rogel; and a maid-servant had to go and tell them, that they should go and tell king David; for they dared not be seen to come into 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.

Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told it to Abshalom; but they went, both of them, quickly away, and came to the house of a man in Bachurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down thither.

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

And the wife took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and scattered ground corn thereupon; so that nothing was perceived.

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.

And Abshalom's servants came to the woman into the house, and they said, Where are Achima'az and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They are passed over the brook of water. And they sought, but could not find them; and 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.”

And it came to pass, after they were gone, that they came up out of the well, and went and told it to king David, and they said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water; for thus hath Achithophel counseled 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.

Then did David arise, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan: by the time the morning was light, not even one was lacking who had not passed over 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.

And when Achithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled the ass, and arose, and went home to his house, to his city, and gave his charge to his household, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

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

Then came David to Machanayim: and Abshalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

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.

And Abshalom placed 'Amassa instead of Joab as captain over the army: and 'Amassa was the son of a man, whose name was Yithra the Israelite, who had gone in to Abigal the daughter of Nachash, the sister of Zeruyah Joab's mother.

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

And Israel and Abshalom encamped in the land of Gil'ad.

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.

And it came to pass, when David was come to Machanayim, that Shobi the son of Nachash of Rabbah of the children of 'Ammon, and Machir the son of 'Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gil'adite of Rogelim,

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

Brought beds, and bowls, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse,

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.”

And honey, and cream, and sheep, and cow's cheese, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat; for they said, The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.