2 Samuel 17

Hushai’s Counsel

1Furthermore, AhithophelH302 saidH559 to AbsalomH53, “PleaseH4994 let me chooseH977 12,000H8147H6240H505 menH376 that I may ariseH6965 and pursueH7291 DavidH1732 tonightH3915. 21I will comeH935 upon him while he is wearyH3023 and 2exhaustedH7504H3027 and terrifyH2729 him, so that allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 are with him will fleeH5127. Then 3I will strikeH5221 downH5221 the kingH4428 aloneH905, 3and I will bringH7725 backH7725 allH3605 the peopleH5971 to you. 4The returnH7725 of everyoneH3605 depends on the manH376 you seekH1245; then allH3605 the peopleH5971 will be at 5peaceH7965.” 4So the 6planH1697 pleasedH5869H3474 AbsalomH53 and allH3605 the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478.

5Then AbsalomH53 saidH559, “NowH4994 callH7121 7HushaiH2365 the ArchiteH757 alsoH1571, and let us hearH8085 whatH4100 8he has to sayH6310.” 6WhenH3512 HushaiH2365 had comeH935 to AbsalomH53, AbsalomH53 saidH559 to 9him, “AhithophelH302 has spokenH1696 10thusH1697H2088. Shall we 11carryH6213 out his planH1697? IfH518 not, you speakH1696.” 7So HushaiH2365 saidH559 to AbsalomH53, “12ThisH2088 timeH6471 the adviceH6098 that AhithophelH302 has 13givenH3289 is not goodH2896.” 8Moreover, HushaiH2365 saidH559, “You knowH3045 your fatherH1 and his menH376, that they are mightyH1368 menH1368 and they are 14fierceH4751H5315, 15like a bearH1677 robbedH7909 of her cubsH7909 in the fieldH7704. And your fatherH1 is an 16expertH376 in warfareH4421, and will not spendH3885 the nightH3885 with the peopleH5971. 9BeholdH2009, he has nowH6258 hiddenH2244 himselfH1931 in oneH259 of the 17cavesH6354 orH176 in anotherH259 placeH4725; and it will be 18whenH3512 he fallsH5307 on them at the firstH8462 attack, that whoever hearsH8085 it will sayH559, ‘There has beenH1961 a slaughterH4046 among the peopleH5971 whoH834 followH310 AbsalomH53.’ 10And evenH1571 the oneH1121 who is valiantH1121H2428, whoseH834 heartH3820 is like the heartH3820 of a lionH743, 19will completelyH4549 20loseH4549 heartH4549; for allH3605 IsraelH3478 knowsH3045 that your fatherH1 is a mightyH1368 manH1121 and those whoH834 are with him are valiantH2428 menH1121. 11But I counselH3289 that allH3605 IsraelH3478 be surelyH622 gatheredH622 to you, 21from DanH1835 even to BeershebaH884, 22as the sandH2344 that is by the seaH3220 in abundanceH7230, and that 23you personallyH6440 goH1980 into battleH7128. 12So we shall comeH935 to him in oneH259 of the placesH4725 whereH834H8033 he can be foundH4672, and we will 24fallH5307 on him 25as the dewH2919 fallsH5307 on the groundH127; and of him and of allH3605 the menH376 whoH834 are with him, not evenH1571 oneH259 will be leftH3498. 13IfH518 he withdrawsH622 into a cityH5892, then allH3605 IsraelH3478 shall bringH5375 ropesH2256 to that cityH5892, and we will 26dragH5498 it into the 27valleyH5158 untilH5704H834 not evenH1571 a smallH6872 stoneH6872 is foundH4672 thereH8033.” 14Then AbsalomH53 and allH3605 the menH376 of IsraelH3478 saidH559, “The counselH6098 of HushaiH2365 the ArchiteH757 is betterH2896 thanH4480 the counselH6098 of AhithophelH302.” For 28the LordH3068 had ordainedH6680 to thwartH6565 the goodH2896 counselH6098 of AhithophelH302, soH5668 that the LordH3068 might bringH935 calamityH7463 on AbsalomH53.

Hushai’s Warning Saves David

15Then 29HushaiH2365 saidH559 to ZadokH6659 and to AbiatharH54 the priestsH3548, “30ThisH2088 is whatH2088 AhithophelH302 counseledH3289 AbsalomH53 and the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478, and 31thisH2088 is whatH2088 I have counseledH3289. 16NowH6258 therefore, sendH7971 quicklyH4120 and tellH5046 DavidH1732, sayingH559, ‘32Do not spendH3885 the nightH3915 at the fordsH6160 of the wildernessH4057, but by allH1571H5674 meansH5674 crossH5674 overH5674, orH6435 elseH6435 the kingH4428 and allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 are with him will be 33destroyedH1104.’” 1734Now JonathanH3083 and AhimaazH290 were stayingH5975 at 35En-rogelH5883, and a maidservantH8198 would goH1980 and tellH5046 them, and they would goH1980 and tellH5046 KingH4428 DavidH1732, for they couldH3201 not be seenH7200 enteringH935 the cityH5892. 18But a ladH5288 did seeH7200 them and toldH5046 AbsalomH53; so the twoH8147 of them departedH1980 quicklyH4120 and cameH935 to the houseH1004 of a manH376 36in BahurimH980, who had a wellH875 in his courtyardH2691, and they wentH3381 downH3381 37into it. 19And 38the womanH802 39tookH3947 a coveringH4539 and spreadH6566 it overH5921 the well’sH875 mouthH6440 and scatteredH7849 grainH7383 on it, so that nothingH3808H1697 was knownH3045. 20Then Absalom’sH53 servantsH5650 cameH935 to the womanH802 at the houseH1004 and saidH559, “WhereH346 are AhimaazH290 and JonathanH3083?” And 40the womanH802 saidH559 to them, “They have crossedH5674 the brookH4323 of waterH4325.” And whenH3512 they searchedH1245 and could not findH4672 them, they returnedH7725 to JerusalemH3389.

21It cameH1961 about afterH310 they had departedH1980 that they cameH5927 up out of the wellH875 and wentH1980 and toldH5046 KingH4428 DavidH1732; and they saidH559 to DavidH1732, “41AriseH6965 and crossH5674 overH5674 the waterH4325 quicklyH4120 for thusH3602 AhithophelH302 has counseledH3289 againstH5921 you.” 22Then DavidH1732 and allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 were with him aroseH6965 and crossedH5674 the JordanH3383; and by 42dawnH216H1242 not evenH5704 oneH259 remainedH5737 whoH834 had not crossedH5674 the JordanH3383.

23Now whenH3512 AhithophelH302 sawH7200 that his counselH6098 was not 43followedH6213, he 44saddledH2280 his donkeyH2543 and aroseH6965 and wentH1980 to his homeH1004, to 45his cityH5892, and 4647setH6680 his houseH1004 in orderH6680, and 48strangledH2614 himself; thus he diedH4191 and was buriedH6912 in the graveH6913 of his fatherH1.

24Then DavidH1732 cameH935 to 49MahanaimH4266. And AbsalomH53 crossedH5674 the JordanH3383, he and allH3605 the menH376 of IsraelH3478 with him. 25AbsalomH53 setH7760 50AmasaH6021 overH5921 the armyH6635 in placeH8478 of JoabH3097. Now AmasaH6021 was the sonH1121 of a manH376 whose nameH8034 was 51IthraH3501 the IsraeliteH3481, whoH834 wentH935 in to AbigailH26 the daughterH1323 of 52NahashH5176, sisterH269 of ZeruiahH6870, Joab’sH3097 motherH517. 26And IsraelH3478 and AbsalomH53 campedH2583 in the landH776 of GileadH1568.

27Now when DavidH1732 had comeH935 to MahanaimH4266, ShobiH7629 53the sonH1121 of NahashH5176 from 54RabbahH7237 of the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983, 55MachirH4353 the sonH1121 of AmmielH5988 from Lo-debarH3810, and 56BarzillaiH1271 the GileaditeH1569 from RogelimH7274, 28broughtH5066 57bedsH4904, basinsH5592, potteryH3627, wheatH2406, barleyH8184, flourH7058, parchedH7039 grain, beansH6321, lentilsH5742, parchedH7039 seeds, 29honeyH1706, curdsH2529, sheepH6629, and cheeseH8194 of the herdH1241, for DavidH1732 and for the peopleH5971 whoH834 were with him, 58to eatH398; for they saidH559, “The peopleH5971 are hungryH7457 and wearyH5889 and thirstyH6771 in the wildernessH4057.”