2 Samuel 17

1 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:

Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight.

2 And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:

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.

3 And I will bring back all the people to thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.

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."

4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

And the advice seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.

Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Archite, and let's hear what he says."

6 And when Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou.

When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Ahithophel has spoken thus. Should we follow his advice? And if not, speak up."

7 And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.

So Hushai said to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good."

8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

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.

9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them are overthrown at the first, that whoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.

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.'

10 And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they who are with him are valiant men.

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.

11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel should be generally gathered to thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou shouldest go to battle in thy own person.

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.

12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.

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.

13 Moreover, if he shall have entered into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there is not one small stone found there.

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."

14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

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.

15 Then said Hushai to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

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.

16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

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.'"

17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a maidservant went and told them; and they went and told king David.

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.

18 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; into which they descended.

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.

19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known.

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.

20 And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

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.

21 And it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came out of the well, and went and told king David, and said to David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

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."

22 Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there was left not one of them that had not gone over Jordan.

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.

23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, and arose, and went home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

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.

24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all Israel with him.

25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man’s son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab’s mother.

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.

26 So Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

So Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27 And it came to pass, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

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,

28 Brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and roasted grain, and beans, and lentiles, and roasted seeds,

brought couches for sleeping, and covers, and basins, and pottery utensils, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched grain, and beans, and lentils,

29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of cows, 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 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."