2 Samuel 17

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

Then said Ahithophel unto Absolom: I pray thee, let me choose for myself, twelve thousand men, and arise, and pursue David to-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 let me come upon him, when, he, is weary, and weak-handed, so shall I strike him with terror, and all the people who are with him shall flee, —then will I 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.”

that I may bring back all the people unto thee, —when all return—[save] the man whom thou art seeking, all the people, will be at peace.

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

And the saying was right in the eyes of Absolom, —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 Absolom, I pray you, call ye Hushai the Archite also, —and let us hear what is in, his, mouth, also.

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 Hushai came in unto Absolom, Absolom spake unto him, saying—After this manner, hath Ahithophel spoken, shall we do what he saith? if not, thou, speak.

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

Then said Hushai unto Absolom, —Not good, is the counsel that Ahithophel hath given—at this time.

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 Hushai said—Thou, knowest thy father and his men—that, men of might, they are, and, embittered in soul, they are, like a bear bereaved of her young, in the field, —thy father also, is 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.’

Lo! by this time, hath, he, hidden himself in some pit, or other place, —and it shall be, as soon as he falleth upon them at the first, that he that hearkeneth for tidings will hear [of it], and will say—There is a defeat among the people that are following Absolom:

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.

then will, even the son of valour himself, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, utterly melt, —for all Israel do know that, a man of might, is thy father, and that, sons of valour, are they who are 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.

Therefore I counsel—that there be a general gathering together unto thee of all Israel, from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, —and that, thine own presence, be going on in their midst.

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.

So shall we come upon him in some place where he hath been found, yea, we, shall be upon him, as when the dew falleth upon the ground, —and there shall not be left of him, or of 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.”

But, if, into a city, he withdraw, then will all Israel bring up unto that city, ropes, —and we will drag it down unto the ravine, until there be not found in that place, so much as a 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.

Then said Absolom and all the men of Israel, Better, is the counsel of Hushai the Archite, than the counsel of Ahithophel. Yahweh, indeed, had given charge to frustrate the wise counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring upon Absolom, ruin.

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.

So Hushai said unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus, did Ahithophel counsel Absolom and the elders of Israel, —and, thus and thus, have, I, counselled.

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, —Do not lodge to-night in the waste plains of the wilderness, thou must, even pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who 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 Ahimaaz, were staying by En-rogel, and a maidservant was to go and tell them, and, they, were to go and tell King David, —for they might not be seen to enter 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.

And, though a young man did see them, and told Absolom, yet they both departed quickly, and entered the house of a man in Bahurim, and, he, had a well in his court, into which they went down;

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 woman took and spread the cover over the face of the well, and spread thereon her pounded corn, —so nothing was known.

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.

Then came the servants of Absolom unto the woman in the house, and said—Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them—They have passed over the stream of water. And, when they had searched and not found, 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 those had gone, that these came up out of the well, and went, and told King David, —and said unto David, —Arise ye and pass quickly over the water, for, thus and thus, hath Ahithophel counselled 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.

So David arose, and all the people who were with him, and passed over the Jordan, by the morning light, so much as one, was not 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.

Now, when, Ahithophel, saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose and went unto his own house, unto his own city, and gave charge unto his household, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the grave of his father.

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

When, David, had come to Mahanaim, Absolom, had 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.

Now Absolom had appointed, Amasa, instead of Joab, over the army, —Amasa, being the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Ishmaelite, who went in unto Abigail, daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, mother of Joab.

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

And Israel and Absolom encamped 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.

And it came to pass, when David entered Mahanaim, that Shobi son of Nahash of Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and Machir son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite, of Rogelim,

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

brought, sleeping rugs, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat and barley, and meal and roasted 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 cheese of kine, 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.