2Sa 17 | NASB1995 | STEP | Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom , “ Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight .

2 Samuel 17

Hushai’s Counsel

1 Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight. 2 ^a“I will come upon him while he is weary and ^{▼▼ Lit slack of hands}exhausted and terrify him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then ^cI will strike down the king alone, 3 and I will bring back all the people to you. ^{▼▼ Lit Like the return of the whole is the man whom you seek}The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at ^epeace.” 4 So the ^{▼▼ Lit word was pleasing in the sight of}plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then Absalom said, “Now call ^gHushai the Archite also, and let us hear what ^{▼▼ Lit is in his mouth— even he}he has to say.” 6 When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to ^{▼▼ Lit him, saying}him, “Ahithophel has spoken ^{▼▼ Lit according to this word}thus. Shall we ^{▼▼ Lit do his word}carry out his plan? If not, you speak.” 7 So Hushai said to Absalom, ^l“This time the advice that Ahithophel has ^{▼▼ Lit advised}given is not good.” 8 Moreover, Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are ^{▼▼ Lit bitter of soul}fierce, ^olike a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is an ^{▼▼ Lit man of war}expert in warfare, and will not spend the night with the people. 9 “Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the ^{▼▼ Lit pits}caves or in another place; and it will be ^{▼▼ Lit according to a falling among them}when he falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ 10 “And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, ^swill completely ^{▼▼ Lit melt}lose heart; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are valiant men. 11 “But I counsel that all Israel be surely gathered to you, ^ufrom Dan even to Beersheba, ^vas the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that ^{▼▼ Lit your face go}you personally go into battle. 12 “So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will ^{▼▼ Lit settle down}fall on him ^yas the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. 13 “If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will ^zdrag it into the ^{▼▼ Or wadi}valley until not even a small stone is found there.” 14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For ^abthe Lord had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring calamity on Absalom.

Hushai’s Warning Saves David

15 Then ^acHushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, ^{▼▼ Lit Thus and thus}“This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and ^{▼▼ Lit Thus and thus}this is what I have counseled. 16 “Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, ‘ ^afDo not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be ^{▼▼ Lit swallowed up}destroyed.’” 17 ^ahNow Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at ^aiEn-rogel, and a maidservant would go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. 18 But a lad did see them and told Absalom; so the two of them departed quickly and came to the house of a man ^ajin Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down ^{▼▼ Lit there}into it. 19 And ^althe woman ^{▼▼ Lit took and spread the covering}took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known. 20 Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And ^anthe woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 It came about after they had departed that they came up out of the well and went and told King David; and they said to David, ^ao“Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.” 22 Then David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by ^{▼▼ Lit the light of the morning}dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not ^{▼▼ Lit done}followed, he ^{▼▼ Lit bound}saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to ^ashis city, and ^{▼▼ Lit gave charge to
,} ^auset his house in order, and ^avstrangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.

24 Then David came to ^awMahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 25 Absalom set ^axAmasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was ^{▼▼ In 1 Chr 2:17, Jether the Ishmaelite}Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of ^azNahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26 And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27 Now when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi ^bathe son of Nahash from ^bbRabbah of the sons of Ammon, ^bcMachir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and ^bdBarzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28 brought ^bebeds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans, lentils, parched seeds, 29 honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him, ^bfto eat; for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”