2 Samuel 17

Hushai’s Counsel

1Furthermore, AhithophelH302 saidH559 to AbsalomH53, “PleaseH4994 let me chooseH977 twelveH8147H6240 thousandH505 menH376 and let me setH6965 outH6965 and pursueH7291H310 DavidH1732 tonightH3915. 21And I will 2attackH935 him while he is wearyH3023 and 3exhaustedH7504H3027 and startleH2729 him, so that allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 are with him will fleeH5127. Then 4I will strikeH5221 andH5221 killH5221 the kingH4428 when he is aloneH905, 3and I will bringH7725 allH3605 the peopleH5971 backH7725 to you. 5The returnH7725 of everyoneH3605 depends on the manH376 whomH834 you are seekingH1245; then allH3605 the peopleH5971 will be at 6peaceH7965.” 4And the 7planH1697 pleasedH5869H3474 AbsalomH53 and allH3605 the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478.

5Nevertheless, AbsalomH53 saidH559, “NowH4994 callH7121 8HushaiH2365 the ArchiteH757 alsoH1571, and let’s hearH8085 whatH4100 9he has to sayH6310.” 6WhenH3512 HushaiH2365 had comeH935 to AbsalomH53, AbsalomH53 saidH559 to 10him, “AhithophelH302 has 11proposedH1696 thisH2088 planH1697. Should we 12carryH6213 outH6213 his planH1697? IfH518 not, sayH1696 so yourselfH859.” 7So HushaiH2365 saidH559 to AbsalomH53, “13ThisH2088 timeH6471 the adviceH6098 that AhithophelH302 has 14givenH3289 is not goodH2896.” 8Then HushaiH2365 saidH559, “You yourselfH859 knowH3045 your fatherH1 and his menH376, that they are warriorsH1368 and they are 15fierceH4751H5315, 16like a bearH1677 deprivedH7909 ofH7909 her cubsH7909 in the fieldH7704. And your fatherH1 is an 17expertH376 in warfareH4421, and he will not spendH3885 theH3885 nightH3885 with the peopleH5971. 9BeholdH2009, he has nowH6258 hiddenH2244 himselfH1931 in oneH259 of the ravinesH6354, orH176 in anotherH259 placeH4725; and it will be that when he fallsH5307 on them at the firstH8462 attack, 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, 18will completelyH4549 despairH4549; for allH3605 IsraelH3478 knowsH3045 that your fatherH1 is a mightyH1368 manH1121, and those whoH834 are with him are valiantH2428 menH1121. 11But I adviseH3289 that allH3605 IsraelH3478 be fullyH622 gatheredH622 to you, 19from DanH1835 even to BeershebaH884, 20like the sandH2344 that is by the seaH3220 in abundanceH7230; and that 21you personallyH6440 goH1980 into battleH7128. 12Then we will comeH935 to him in oneH259 of the placesH4725 whereH834H8033 he can be foundH4672, and we will 22fallH5117 on him 23justH3512 asH3512 the dewH2919 fallsH5307 on the groundH127; and of him and of allH3605 the menH376 whoH834 are with him, not evenH1571 oneH259 will be leftH3498. 13And ifH518 he withdrawsH622 into a cityH5892, then allH3605 IsraelH3478 shall bringH5375 ropesH2256 to that cityH5892, and we will 24dragH5498 it into the 25valleyH5158 untilH5704H834 not evenH1571 a pebbleH6872 is foundH4672 thereH8033.” 14Then AbsalomH53 and allH3605 the menH376 of IsraelH3478 saidH559, “The adviceH6098 of HushaiH2365 the ArchiteH757 is betterH2896 thanH4480 the adviceH6098 of AhithophelH302.” For 26the LordH3068 had ordainedH6680 to foilH6565 the goodH2896 adviceH6098 of AhithophelH302, in orderH5668 for the LordH3068 to bringH935 disasterH7463 on AbsalomH53.

Hushai’s Warning Saves David

15Then 27HushaiH2365 saidH559 to ZadokH6659 and to AbiatharH54 the priestsH3548, “28ThisH2088 is whatH2088 AhithophelH302 advisedH3289 AbsalomH53 and the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478 to do, and 29thisH2088 is whatH2088 I have advisedH3289. 16NowH6258 then, sendH7971 a messenger quicklyH4120 and tellH5046 DavidH1732, sayingH559, ‘30Do not spendH3885 the nightH3915 at the riverH6160 crossingH6160 placesH6160 of the wildernessH4057, but by allH1571H5674 meansH5674 crossH5674 overH5674, orH6435 elseH6435 the kingH4428 and allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 are with him will be 31destroyedH1104.’” 1732Now JonathanH3083 and AhimaazH290 were stayingH5975 at 33En-rogelH5883, and a femaleH8198 servantH8198 would goH1980 and informH5046 them, and they would goH1980 and informH5046 KingH4428 DavidH1732, for they couldH3201 not allow themselves to be seenH7200 enteringH935 the cityH5892. 18But a boyH5288 did seeH7200 them, and he toldH5046 AbsalomH53; so the twoH8147 of them leftH1980 quicklyH4120 and cameH935 to the houseH1004 of a manH376 34in BahurimH980, who had a wellH875 in his courtyardH2691, and they wentH3381 downH3381 35into it. 19And 36the womanH802 37tookH3947 a coverH4539 and spreadH6566 it overH5921 the well’sH875 mouthH6440 and scatteredH7849 barleyH7383 mealH7383 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 38the womanH802 saidH559 to them, “They have crossedH5674 the brookH4323 of waterH4325.” And whenH3512 they searchedH1245 and did not findH4672 them, they returnedH7725 to JerusalemH3389.

21It cameH1961 aboutH1961 afterH310 they had departedH1980, that they cameH5927 upH5927 out of the wellH875 and wentH1980 and reportedH5046 to KingH4428 DavidH1732; and they saidH559 to DavidH1732, “39SetH6965 outH6965 and crossH5674 overH5674 the waterH4325 quicklyH4120, becauseH3588 thisH3602 isH3602 whatH3602 AhithophelH302 has advisedH3289 againstH5921 you.” 22Then DavidH1732 and allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 were with him setH6965 outH6965 and crossedH5674 the JordanH3383; by 40dawnH216H1242 not evenH5704 oneH259 remainedH5737 whoH834 had not crossedH5674 the JordanH3383.

23Now whenH3512 AhithophelH302 sawH7200 that his adviceH6098 had not been 41followedH6213, he saddledH2280 his donkeyH2543 and setH6965 outH6965 and wentH1980 to his homeH1004, to 42his cityH5892, and 4344setH6680 his houseH1004 inH6680 orderH6680, and 45hangedH2614 himself; so he diedH4191 and was buriedH6912 in his father’sH1 graveH6913.

24Then DavidH1732 cameH935 to 46MahanaimH4266. And AbsalomH53 crossedH5674 the JordanH3383, he and allH3605 the menH376 of IsraelH3478 with him. 25AbsalomH53 putH7760 47AmasaH6021 48inH5921 commandH5921 ofH5921 the armyH6635 inH8478 placeH8478 ofH8478 JoabH3097. Now AmasaH6021 was the sonH1121 of a manH376 whose nameH8034 was 49IthraH3501 the IsraeliteH3481, whoH834 50hadH935 relationsH935 withH935 AbigailH26 the daughterH1323 of 51NahashH5176, sisterH269 of ZeruiahH6870, Joab’sH3097 motherH517. 26And IsraelH3478 and AbsalomH53 campedH2583 in the landH776 of GileadH1568.

27Now when DavidH1732 had comeH935 to MahanaimH4266, ShobiH7629 52the sonH1121 of NahashH5176 from 53RabbahH7237 of the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983, 54MachirH4353 the sonH1121 of AmmielH5988 from Lo-debarH3810, and 55BarzillaiH1271 the GileaditeH1569 from RogelimH7274, 28broughtH5066 56bedsH4904, basinsH5592, potteryH3627, wheatH2406, barleyH8184, flourH7058, roastedH7039 grain, beansH6321, lentilsH5742, roastedH7039 seeds, 29honeyH1706, curdsH2529, sheepH6629, and cheeseH8194 of the herdH1241, for DavidH1732 and the peopleH5971 whoH834 were with him, 57to eatH398. For they saidH559, “The peopleH5971 are hungryH7457 and exhaustedH5889 and thirstyH6771 in the wildernessH4057.”