2Sa 17 | NASB2020 | STEP | Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom , “ Please let me choose twelve thousand men and let me set out and pursue David tonight .

2 Samuel 17

Hushai’s Counsel

1 Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men and let me set out and pursue David tonight. 2 ^aAnd I will ^{▼▼Lit come upon}attack him while he is weary and ^{▼▼Lit slack of hands}exhausted and startle him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then ^dI will strike and kill the king when he is alone, 3 and I will bring all the people back to you. ^{▼▼Lit As the return of the whole is the man whom you seek}The return of everyone depends on the man whom you are seeking; then all the people will be at ^fpeace.” 4 And the ^{▼▼Lit word was pleasing in the sight of}plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 Nevertheless, Absalom said, “Now call ^hHushai the Archite also, and let’s 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 ^{▼▼Lit spoken according to this word}proposed this plan. Should we ^{▼▼Lit do his word}carry out his plan? If not, say so yourself.” 7 So Hushai said to Absalom, “ ^mThis time the advice that Ahithophel has ^{▼▼Lit advised}given is not good.” 8 Then Hushai said, “You yourself know your father and his men, that they are warriors and they are ^{▼▼Lit bitter of soul}fierce, ^plike a bear deprived of her cubs in the field. And your father is an ^{▼▼Lit man of war}expert in warfare, and he will not spend the night with the people. 9 Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the ravines, or in another place; and it will be that when he falls on them at the first attack, 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, ^rwill completely despair; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. 11 But I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, ^sfrom Dan even to Beersheba, ^tlike the sand that is by the sea in abundance; and that ^{▼▼Lit your face goes}you personally go into battle. 12 Then we will come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will ^{▼▼Lit settle down}fall on him ^wjust as 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 And if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will ^xdrag it into the ^{▼▼Or wadi; i.e., a dry stream bed}valley until not even a pebble is found there.” 14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For ^zthe Lord had ordained to foil the good advice of Ahithophel, in order for the Lord to bring disaster on Absalom.

Hushai’s Warning Saves David

15 Then ^aaHushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “ ^{▼▼Lit According to this and this}This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do, and ^{▼▼Lit According to this and this}this is what I have advised. 16 Now then, send a messenger quickly and tell David, saying, ‘ ^adDo not spend the night at the river crossing places 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 ^afNow Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at ^agEn-rogel, and a female servant would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not allow themselves to be seen entering the city. 18 But a boy did see them, and he told Absalom; so the two of them left quickly and came to the house of a man ^ahin Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down ^{▼▼Lit there}into it. 19 And ^ajthe woman ^{▼▼Lit took and spread the covering}took a cover and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered barley meal 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 ^althe woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and did 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 reported to King David; and they said to David, “ ^amSet out and cross over the water quickly, because this is what Ahithophel has advised against you.” 22 Then David and all the people who were with him set out and crossed the Jordan; 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 advice had not been ^{▼▼Lit done}followed, he saddled his donkey and set out and went to his home, to ^aphis city, and ^{▼▼Lit ordered in regard to
,} ^arset his house in order, and ^ashanged himself; so he died and was buried in his father’s grave.

24 Then David came to ^atMahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 25 Absalom put ^auAmasa ^{▼▼Lit over the army}in command of 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 ^{▼▼Lit came in to}had relations with Abigail the daughter of ^ayNahash, 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 ^azthe son of Nahash from ^baRabbah of the sons of Ammon, ^bbMachir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and ^bcBarzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28 brought ^bdbeds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted seeds, 29 honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him, ^beto eat. For they said, “The people are hungry and exhausted and thirsty in the wilderness.”