2 Samuel 17

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

And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Let me now choose out for myself twelve thousand men, and I will arise and follow after David this night:

2 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;

and I will come upon him when he [is] weary and weak-handed, and I will strike him with terror; and all the people with him shall flee, and I will smite the king only of all.

3 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.

And I will bring back all the people to thee, as a bride returns to her husband: only thou seekest the life of one man, and all the people shall have peace.

4 And the thing was pleasing in the eyes of Abshalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.

And the saying [was] right in the eyes of Abessalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.

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

And Abessalom said, Call now also Chusi the Arachite, and let us hear what [is] in his mouth, even in his also.

6 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.

And Chusi went in to Abessalom, and Abessalom spoke to him, saying, After this manner spoke Achitophel: shall we do according to his word? but if not, do thou speak.

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

And Chusi said to Abessalom, This counsel which Achitophel has counselled this one time [is] not good.

8 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.

And Chusi said, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are very mighty, and bitter in their spirit, as a bereaved bear in the field, [and as a wild boar in the plain]: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will not give the people rest.

9 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.

For, behold, he is now hidden in one of the hills or in some [other] place: and it shall come to pass when he falls upon them at the beginning, that [some one] will certainly hear, and say, There has been a slaughter among the people that follow after Abessalom.

10 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.

Then even he [that is] strong, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, —it shall utterly melt: for all Israel knows that thy father [is] mighty, and they that are with him [are] mighty men.

11 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.

For thus I have surely given counsel, that all Israel be generally gathered to thee from Dan even to Bersabee, as the sand that is upon the sea-shore for multitude: and that thy presence go in the midst of them.

12 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.

And we will come upon him in one of the places where we shall find him, and we will encamp against him, as the dew falls upon the earth; and we will not leave of him and of his men so much as one.

13 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.

And if he shall have taken refuge with his army in a city, then shall all Israel take ropes to that city, and we will draw it even into the river, that there may not be left there even a stone.

14 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.

And Abessalom, and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Chusi the Arachite [is] better than the counsel of Achitophel. For the Lord ordained to disconcert the good counsel of Achitophel, that the Lord might bring all evil upon Abessalom.

15 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.

And Chusi the Arachite said to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus Achitophel counselled Abessalom 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 rather pass over at once; lest the king be entirely ruined, and all the people that are with him.

And now send quickly and report to David, saying, Lodge not this night in Araboth of the wilderness: even go and make haste, lest [one] swallow up the king, and all the people with him.

17 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.

And Jonathan and Achimaas stood by the well of Rogel, and a maid-servant went and reported to them, and they go and tell king David; for they might not be seen to enter into the city.

18 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.

But a young man saw them and told Abessalom: and the two went quickly, and entered into the house of a man in Baurim; and he had a well in his court, and they went down into it.

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

And a woman took a covering, and spread it over the mouth of the well, and spread out ground corn upon it to dry, and the thing was not known.

20 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.

And the servants of Abessalom came to the woman into the house, and said, Where [are] Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman said to them, They are gone a little way beyond the water. And they sought and found them not, and returned to Jerusalem.

21 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.

And it came to pass after they were gone, that they came up out of the pit, and went on their way; and reported to king David, and said to David, Arise ye and go quickly over the water, for thus has Achitophel counselled concerning you.

22 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.

And David rose up and all the people with him, and they passed over Jordan till the morning light; there was not one missing who did not pass over Jordan.

23 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.

And Achitophel saw that his counsel was not followed, and he saddled his ass, and rose and departed to his house into his city; and he gave orders to his household, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

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

And David passed over to Manaim: and Abessalom crossed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

25 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.

And Abessalom appointed Amessai in the room of Joab over the host. And Amessai was the son of a man whose name was Jether of Jezrael: he went in to Abigaia the daughter of Naas, the sister of Saruia the mother of Joab.

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

And all Israel and Abessalom encamped in the land of Galaad.

27 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,

And it came to pass when David came to Manaim, that Uesbi the son of Naas of Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, and Machir son of Amiel of Lodabar, and Berzelli the Galaadite of Rogellim,

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

brought ten embroidered beds, (with double coverings, ) and ten caldrons, and earthenware, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and meal, and beans, and pulse,

29 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.

and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheeses of kine: and they brought them to David and to his people with him to eat; for [one] said, The people [is] faint and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.