2 Samuel 17
Hushai Counters Ahithophel’s Advice
2I 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
2And I will come upon him, and he is weary and weak handed, and I will cause him to tremble, and all the people will flee who are with him. And I will strike the king by himself,
8He 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.
8And Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are bitter of spirit, like a bereaved bear in the field. And your father is a man of war, and he will not spend the night with the people.
9Surely by now he is hiding in a cave or some other location. If some of your troops fall first,a whoever hears of it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’
9Behold now, he is hidden in one of the pits, or in one of the places. And it will come to pass, when some fall among them at the first, that the hearer will hear and say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’
10Then 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.
10And even he also, the son of valor whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are sons of valor.
11Instead, 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.
11Therefore I counsel that all Israel be diligently gathered to you, from Dan and to Beersheba, like the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and your face will be walking in the battle.
12Then 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.
12And we will come upon him in one of the places where he may be found, and we will be on him as the dew falls on the ground, and there shall not be left of him and all the men who are with him even one.
13If 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 there.”
13And if he withdraws into a city, all Israel shall bring to that city ropes, and we will pull it into the river until that there is not found there even a pebble.”
14Then 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.
14And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For YHWH had purposed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, for the sake of YHWH bringing on Absalom disaster.
Hushai’s Warning Saves David
15So 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.
15And Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Thus and thus Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus I have counseled.
16Now 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.’”
16And now send quickly and declare to David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night in the plains of the wilderness, and also surely pass over, lest the king be swallowed up and all the people who are with him.’”
17Now 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.
17And Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel; and the maidservant would come and tell them, and they would go and tell King David. For they dared not to be seen coming into the city.
18But 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.
18And a boy saw them and told Absalom; and the two of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, and unto him was a well in his court, and they went down into it.
20When 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.
20And the servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house, and they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have gone over the brook of water.” And they searched and did not find, and they turned back to Jerusalem.
21After 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.”
21And it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well, and they went and told King David, and they said to David, “Arise and pass over the waters quickly, for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.”
22So 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.
22And David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan until the light of the morning; not even one of them was left who had not gone over the Jordan.
23When 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.
23And Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, and he saddled a donkey and arose and went home to his house, to his city, and he put in order unto his house, and hanged himself, and he died, and he was buried in the tomb of his father.
25Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra,a the Ishmaeliteb who had married Abigail,c the daughter of Nahashd and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.
25And Absalom had appointed Amasa instead of Joab Captain of the army. And Amasa was son of a man, and his name was Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had gone in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, mother of Joab.
27When 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.
27And it came to pass, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,
29honey, 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.”
29and honey, and curds, and sheep, and cheese of the herd, they brought near for David and the people who were with him to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”