2 Samuel 17

1Furthermore, AhithophelH302 saidH559 toH413 AbsalomH53, “Let me chooseH977H4994 twelveH8147H6240 thousandH505 menH376 and set outH6965 tonightH3915 in pursuit ofH7291H310 DavidH1732. 2I will attack himH935H5921 while heH1931 is weakH7504H3027 and wearyH3023; I will throw him into a panicH2729, and allH3605 the peopleH5971 with himH854 will fleeH5127; I will strike downH5221 onlyH905 the kingH4428 3and bring allH3605 the peopleH5971 backH7725 to youH413 as a brideH3605 returning to her husbandH7725. YouH859 seek the lifeH1245 of only one manH376H834;1 then allH3605 the peopleH5971 will beH1961 at peaceH7965.”

4This proposalH1697 seemedH5869 goodH3474 to AbsalomH53H5869 and allH3605 the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478.

5Then AbsalomH53 saidH559, “SummonH7121H4994 HushaiH2365 the ArchiteH757 as wellH1571, and let us hearH8085 whatH4100 heH1931 tooH1571 has to sayH6310.”

6So HushaiH2365 cameH935 toH413 AbsalomH53, who told himH559, “AhithophelH302 has spokenH1696 thisH2088 proposalH1697. Should we carry it outH6213? IfH518 notH369, what do youH859 sayH1696?”

7HushaiH2365 repliedH559, “ThisH2063 timeH6471 the adviceH6098 of AhithophelH302H3289 is notH3808 soundH2896.”

8He continuedH559, “YouH859 knowH3045 your fatherH1 and his menH582H3588. TheyH1992 are mighty menH1368, and as fierceH4751H5315H1992 as a wildH7704 bearH1677 robbed of her cubsH7909. Moreover, your fatherH1 is a manH376 of warH4421 who will notH3808 spend the nightH3885 withH854 the troopsH5971. 9SurelyH2009 by nowH6258 heH1931 is hidingH2244 in aH259 caveH6354 orH176 some otherH259 locationH4725. If some of your troops fallH5307 firstH8462,2 whoever hearsH8085 of it will sayH559, ‘ThereH1961 has beenH1961 a slaughterH4046 among the troopsH5971 whoH834 followH310 AbsalomH53.’ 10ThenH1931 evenH1571 the most valiantH2428 soldierH1121 with the heartH3820 of a lionH738 will melt with fearH4549, becauseH3588 allH3605 IsraelH3478 knowsH3045 thatH3588 your fatherH1 is a mighty manH1368 who has valiantH2428 menH1121 with himH854.

11InsteadH3588, I adviseH3289 that allH3605 IsraelH3478 from DanH1835 toH5704 BeershebaH884—a multitudeH7230 like the sandH2344 onH5921 the seashoreH3220—be gatheredH622 to youH5921, and that you yourselfH6440 lead themH1980 into battleH7128. 12Then we will attackH935 David whereverH259H4725 we find himH4672H8033, and weH5168 will descendH5307 on himH5921 likeH834 dewH2919 onH5921 the groundH127. And of allH3605 the menH582 with himH854, notH3808 evenH1571 oneH259 will remainH3498.

13IfH518 he retreatsH622 toH413 a cityH5892, allH3605 IsraelH3478 will bringH5375 ropesH2256 toH413 thatH1931 cityH5892, and we will dragH5498 itH853 down toH5704 the valleyH5158 untilH5704 notH3808 evenH1571 a pebbleH6872 can be foundH4672 thereH8033.”

14Then AbsalomH53 and allH3605 the menH376 of IsraelH3478 saidH559, “The adviceH6098 of HushaiH2365 the ArchiteH757 is betterH2896 thanH6098 that of AhithophelH302.” For the LORDH3068 had purposedH6680 to thwartH6565 the goodH2896 counselH6098 of AhithophelH302 in order toH5668 bringH935H3068 disasterH7451 onH413 AbsalomH53.

Hushai’s Warning Saves David

(Psalm 55:1–23)

15So HushaiH2365H413 toldH559 ZadokH6659H413 and AbiatharH54, the priestsH3548, “This is whatH2063 AhithophelH302 has advisedH3289 AbsalomH53 and the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478, and this is whatH2063 IH589 have advisedH3289. 16NowH6258 sendH7971 quicklyH4120 and tellH5046 DavidH1732H559, ‘Do notH408 spendH3885 the nightH3915 at the fordsH6160 of the wildernessH4057, butH1571 be sure to cross overH5674. OtherwiseH6435 the kingH4428 and allH3605 the peopleH5971 with himH854 will be swallowed upH1104.’”

17Now JonathanH3083 and AhimaazH290 were stayingH5975 at En-rogelH5883, where a servant girlH8198 would comeH1980 and pass along informationH5046 to them. TheyH1992 in turn would goH1980 and informH5046 KingH4428 DavidH1732, forH3588 they daredH3201 notH3808 be seenH7200 enteringH935 the cityH5892. 18But a young manH5288 did seeH7200 themH853 and toldH5046 AbsalomH53. So the twoH8147 leftH1980 quicklyH4120 and cameH935 toH413 the houseH1004 of a manH376 in BahurimH980. He had a wellH875 in his courtyardH2691, and they climbed downH3381 into itH8033. 19Then the man’s wifeH802 tookH3947 a coveringH4539, spreadH6566 it overH5921 the mouthH6440 of the wellH875, and scatteredH7849 grainH7383 over itH5921 so nobodyH3808 would knowH3045 a thingH1697.

20When Absalom’sH53 servantsH5650 cameH935 toH413 the womanH802 at the houseH1004, they askedH559, “WhereH346 are AhimaazH290 and JonathanH3083?”

“They have crossed overH5674 the brookH4323H4325,” sheH802 repliedH559. The men searchedH1245 but did notH3808 findH4672 them, so they returnedH7725 to JerusalemH3389.

21

AfterH310 the men had goneH1980, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed upH5927 out of the wellH875 and wentH1980 to informH5046 KingH4428 DavidH1732, sayingH559, “Get upH6965 and cross overH5674 the riverH4325 at onceH4120, forH3588 AhithophelH302 has given thisH3602 adviceH3289 against youH5921.”

22So DavidH1732 and allH3605 the peopleH5971 with himH854 got upH6965 and crossedH5674 the JordanH3383. ByH5704 daybreakH216H1242H5704, there was noH3808 oneH259 leftH5737 whoH834 had notH3808 crossedH5674 the JordanH3383.

23When AhithophelH302 sawH7200 thatH3588 his adviceH6098 had notH3808 been followedH6213, he saddledH2280 his donkeyH2543 and set outH6965H1980 forH413 his houseH1004 inH413 his hometownH5892. He put his affairsH413H1004 in orderH6680 and hanged himselfH2614. So he diedH4191 and was buriedH6912 in his father’sH1 tombH6913.

24Then DavidH1732 wentH935 to MahanaimH4266, and AbsalomH53 crossedH5674 the JordanH3383H1931 withH5973 allH3605 the menH376 of IsraelH3478. 25AbsalomH53 had appointedH7760 AmasaH6021 overH5921 the armyH6635 in placeH8478 of JoabH3097. AmasaH6021 was the sonH1121 of a manH376 namedH8034 IthraH3501,3 the IshmaeliteH34814 whoH834 had marriedH935H413 AbigailH26,5 the daughterH1323 of NahashH51766 and sisterH269 of ZeruiahH6870 the motherH517 of JoabH3097. 26So the IsraelitesH3478 and AbsalomH53 campedH2583 in the landH776 of GileadH1568.

27

When DavidH1732 cameH935 to MahanaimH4266, he was met by ShobiH7629 sonH1121 of NahashH5176 from RabbahH7237 of the AmmonitesH1121H5983, MachirH4353 sonH1121 of AmmielH5988 from Lo-debarH3810, and BarzillaiH1271 the GileaditeH1569 from RogelimH7274. 28They brought bedsH4904, basinsH5592, and earthenH3335 vesselsH3627, as well as wheatH2406, barleyH8184, flourH7058, roasted grainH7039, beansH6321, lentilsH5742H7039,7 29honeyH1706, curdsH2529, sheepH6629, and cheeseH8194 from the herdH1241H5066 for DavidH1732 and his peopleH5971 to eatH398. ForH3588 they saidH559, “The peopleH5971 have become hungryH7457, exhaustedH5889, and thirstyH6771 in the wildernessH4057.”