2 Samuel 17

1 And he said Ahithophel to Absalom let me choose please two [plus] ten thousand man and I will arise and I will pursue after David this night.

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

2 So I may come on him and he [will be] weary and slack of hands and I will terrify him and will flee all the people which [is] with him and I will strike down the king to only him.

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

3 And I will bring back all the people to you as returns everything the man whom you [are] seeking all the people it will be peace.

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.”

4 And it was pleasing the word in [the] eyes of Absalom and in [the] eyes of all [the] elders of Israel.

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

5 And he said Absalom summon please also Hushai the Arkite so let us hear what? [is] in mouth his also he.

Then Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite as well, and let us hear what he too has to say.”

6 And he came Hushai to Absalom and he said Absalom to him saying according to the word this he has spoken Ahithophel ¿ will we do word his if not you speak.

So Hushai came to Absalom, who told him, “Ahithophel has spoken this proposal. Should we carry it out? If not, what do you say?”

7 And he said Hushai to Absalom not [is] good the counsel which he has counseled Ahithophel at the time this.

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

8 And he said Hushai you you know father your and men his that [are] warriors they and [are] bitter of soul they like a bear robbed of cubs in the field and father your [is] a man of war and not he will pass [the] night with the people.

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.

9 There! now he [has] hidden himself in one of the ravines or in one of the places and it will be when falls among them at the first and he will hear the [one who] hears and he will say it has been a slaughter among the people which [is] after Absalom.

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.’

10 And he also a son of strength whom heart his [is] like [the] heart of lion surely he will melt for [is] knowing all Israel that [is] a warrior father your and [are] sons of strength who [are] with him.

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.

11 For I counsel certainly let it be gathered to you all Israel from Dan and to Beer Sheba like the sand which [is] at the sea for multitude and face your [will be] going in the battle.

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.

12 And we will come against him (in one of *Q(k)*) the places where he is found there and we will set on him when it will fall the dew on the ground and not we will leave among him and among all the men who [are] with him also one.

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.

13 And if into a city he will be gathered and they will cause to bring all Israel to the city that ropes and we will drag him to the wadi until that not it has been found there also a pebble.

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.”

14 And he said Absalom and every man of Israel [is] good [the] counsel of Hushai the Arkite more than [the] counsel of Ahithophel and Yahweh he had commanded to frustrate [the] counsel of Ahithophel good in order to bring Yahweh to Absalom calamity.

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.

15 And he said Hushai to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests like this and like this he has counseled Ahithophel Absalom and [the] elders of Israel and like this and like this I have counseled I.

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.

16 And therefore send quickly and tell to David saying may not you pass [the] night this night at [the] desert plains of the wilderness and also certainly you will pass over lest it should be swallowed up to the king and to all the people which [is] with him.

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.’”

17 And Jonathan and Ahimaaz [were] staying at En Rogel and she went the maidservant and she told to them and they they went and they told to the king David for not they were able to be seen to go the city towards.

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.

18 And he saw them a young man and he told to Absalom and they went [the] two of them quickly and they came - to [the] house of a man in Bahurim and [belonged] to him a well in courtyard his and they went down there.

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.

19 And she took the woman and she spread out the covering on [the] face of the well and she spread on it the grain[s] and not it was known anything.

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.

20 And they came [the] servants of Absalom to the woman the house towards and they said where? [are] Ahimaaz and Jonathan and she said to them the woman they have passed over [the] brook of water and they sought [them] and not they found [them] and they returned Jerusalem.

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.

21 And it was - after had gone they and they came up from the well and they went and they told to the king David and they said to David arise and pass over quickly the water for thus he has counseled on you Ahithophel.

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.”

22 And he arose David and all the people which [was] with him and they passed over the Jordan until [the] light of the morning up to one [person] not [was] missing who not he had passed over the Jordan.

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.

23 And Ahithophel he saw that not it was done counsel his and he saddled the donkey and he arose and he went to house his to city his and he commanded concerning household his and he hanged himself and he died and he was buried in [the] tomb of father his.

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.

24 And David he had gone Mahanaim towards and Absalom he had passed over the Jordan he and every man of Israel with him.

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

25 And Amasa he had appointed Absalom in place of Joab over the army and Amasa [was] a son of a man and name his [was] Jether the Israelite who he had gone into Abigail [the] daughter of Nahash [the] sister of Zeruiah [the] mother of Joab.

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.

26 And it encamped Israel and Absalom [the] land of Gilead.

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

27 And it was when came David Mahanaim towards and Shobi [the] son of Nahash from Rabbah of [the] people of Ammon and Makir [the] son of Ammiel from Lo Debar and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.

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.

28 Bed[s] and basins and a vessel of a potter and wheat and barley and flour and roasted grain and bean[s] and lentils and roasted grain.

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

29 And honey and curd and sheep and cheese of [the] herd they brought for David and for the people which [was] with him to eat for they said the people [is] hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.

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.”