2 Samuel 17
1 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight.
Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set off in pursuit of David tonight.
2 And I will catch up with him while he is weary and discouraged, and will thow him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. And I will strike the king alone.
I'll attack him while he is tired and weak. I'll catch him by surprise and all his men will run away. I'll only kill the king
3 Then all the people will come back to you, as a bride returns to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; then all the people will be in peace."
and bring everybody else back to you. When everybody returns apart from the one man you're after, the whole country will be at peace.”
4 And the advice seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
This plan looked good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.
5 Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Archite, and let's hear what he says."
But then Absalom said, “Call in Hushai the Archite too, and let's hear what he's got to say as well.”
6 When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Ahithophel has spoken thus. Should we follow his advice? And if not, speak up."
When Hushai came in, Absalom, asked him, “Ahithophel has recommended this plan. Should we go ahead with it? If not, what's your suggestion?”
7 So Hushai said to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good."
“For once Ahithophel's advice isn't good,” Hushai replied.
8 Moreover, Hushai said, "You know your father and his men, that they are warriors, and that they are as fierce as a bear robbed of her cubs in the wild, or a sow snared in the wild. Your father is expert in war, and will not camp with the people.
“You know what your father and his men are like. They're great fighters, and now they're as furious as a she-bear robbed of her cubs. In any case, your father is experienced in military tactics, and he won't spend the night with his men.
9 Look, he is now hidden in some pit, or in some other place. And it will happen when some of them have fallen first, that whoever hears it will say, 'There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.'
Right now he's holed up in a cave or some place like that. If he attacks first and some of your men are killed, people who hear about it will say, ‘Absalom's men are being slaughtered.’
10 Then even the one who is brave, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a warrior, and those who are with him are brave men.
Then even the bravest soldier who has the heart of a lion will be scared to death, because everyone in Israel knows that your father is a powerful man who has brave men with him.
11 But, I strongly advise as follows: Let all Israel be gathered to you from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea in number, and that you personally go into battle.
My recommendation is that you call up the entire Israelite army from Dan to Beersheba—an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore! Once they've assembled, then you yourself lead them into battle!
12 So we will come upon him in some place where he can be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left.
Then we'll attack David wherever he is, and we'll fall on him as dew falls on the ground. Neither he nor a single one of all the men with him will be left alive!
13 Moreover, if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will take up ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the riverbed, until there isn't one pebble to be found there."
If he tries to find protection in a town, all of Israel will bring ropes to that town, and we will pull it down into the valley so that not even a stone will be left.”
14 Then Absalom and all Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For the LORD had commanded that Ahithophel's counsel should be defeated, so that that the LORD could bring Absalom to ruin.
Absalom and all the Israelite leaders said, “Hushai the Arkite's advice is better than Ahithophel's.” For the Lord had decided to block Ahithophel's good advice in order that he might bring disaster on Absalom.
15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "Here is the council Ahithophel gave Absalom and the elders of Israel, and here is what I counseled.
Hushai spoke to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and told them, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the Israelite leaders to act in one way, but I have advised them to act in this different way.
16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David, saying, 'Do not stay the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over. Otherwise the king and all the people who are with him will be swallowed up.'"
So send a message quickly to David and tell him, ‘Don't wait and spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but cross over immediately or the king and everybody with him will be destroyed.’”
17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel, and a female servant was to go and tell them, and they would go and inform king David. For they were not to be seen going into the city.
Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel because they couldn't be seen entering the city. A servant girl would come and tell them what was happening. Then they would go and let King David know.
18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So they both departed quickly and reached the house of a man in Bahurim who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.
But a boy did see them and he told Absalom. So the two left immediately and went to the house of a man in the town of Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed into it.
19 And the woman took a covering and spread it over the top of the well and scattered some grain on it, so that nothing could be noticed.
His wife took a cloth to cover the well and spread it out over the opening and then scattered grain over it. No one knew the men were there.
20 Then Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, and they asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have crossed the brook of water." And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
When Absalom's officers arrived they asked the woman, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They crossed over the stream,” she replied. The men searched for them but didn't find them, so they went back to Jerusalem.
21 It came about after they had left that they climbed out of the well, and left and told king David. And they said to him, "Get up and cross quickly over the water, for Ahithophel has given such and such counsel against you."
After Absalom's officers left, the two men climbed out of the well and rushed off to give the king their message. “Have everybody get up and cross the river right away, for Ahithophel's advice is to attack you immediately.”
22 Then David and all the people who were with him got up and they crossed the Jordan. By dawn there was no one left who had not crossed the Jordan.
David and everybody with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By the time it got light there wasn't anybody who hadn't crossed over.
23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went up to his home in his city. Then he set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.
When Ahithophel realized that his advice had been ignored, he saddled up his donkey and left for his home in the town where he lived. He put his affairs in order and then he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father's tomb.
24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all Israel with him.
David went on to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed over the Jordan with the entire Israelite army.
25 And Absalom had put Amasa over the army in place of of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jether the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigail the daughter of Jesse, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
Absalom had put Amasa in charge of the army to replace Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who lived with Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
26 So Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.
The Israelites under Absalom set up camp in the land of Gilead.
27 Now it happened when David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, Makir the son of Ammiel of Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was welcomed by Shobi, son of Nahash, from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir, son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.
28 brought couches for sleeping, and covers, and basins, and pottery utensils, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched grain, and beans, and lentils,
They brought bedding, bowls, and clay jars, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,
29 and honey, and curd of the flock, and cheese of the herd. And they presented them to David and to the people who were with him to eat. For they said, "The people are hungry and tired and thirsty in the wilderness."
honey, curds, sheep, and cheese made from cow's milk for David and the people with him to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry, tired, and thirsty from their time in the wilderness.”
