1 F urthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12, 000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight.

Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me choose 12, 000 men and I will set out and pursue David this night.

2 I will come upon him while he is weary and exhausted and terrify him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone,

I will come upon him while he is exhausted and weak, and cause him to panic; all the people with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone.

3 a nd I will bring back all the people to you. The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at peace.”

I will bring back all the people to you. the man whom you seek is the assurance that all will return; and all the people will be at peace.

4 S o the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

And what he said pleased Absalom well and all the elders of Israel.

5 T hen Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say.”

Absalom said, Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he says.

6 W hen Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “Ahithophel has spoken thus. Shall we carry out his plan? If not, you speak.”

When Hushai came, Absalom said to him, Ahithophel has counseled thus. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up.

7 S o Hushai said to Absalom, “ This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good.”

And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time.

8 M oreover, Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are fierce, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is an expert in warfare, and will not spend the night with the people.

For, said Hushai, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are embittered and enraged like a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

9 B ehold, he has now hidden himself in one of the caves or in another place; and it will be 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.’

Behold, he is hidden even now in some pit or other place; and when some of them are overthrown at the first, whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the followers of Absalom.

10 A nd even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely lose heart; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are valiant men.

And even he who is brave, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and that those who are with him are brave men.

11 B ut I counsel that all Israel be surely gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle.

Therefore I counsel that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in your own person.

12 S o we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him 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.

So shall we come upon some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew settles on the ground; and of him and of all the men with him there shall not be left so much as one.

13 I f he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the valley until not even a small stone is found there.”

If he withdraws into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the ravine until not one pebble is left there.

14 T hen Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring calamity on Absalom. Hushai’s Warning Saves David

Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel. For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

15 T hen Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “ This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I have counseled.

Then said Hushai to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled.

16 N ow therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, ‘ Do 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 destroyed.’”

Now send quickly and tell David, Lodge not this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up and all the people with him.

17 N ow Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-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.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at En-rogel, for they must not be seen coming into the city. But a maidservant went and told them, and they went and told King David.

18 B ut a lad did see them and told Absalom; so the two of them departed quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.

But a lad saw them and told Absalom; but they left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it.

19 A nd the woman took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known.

And the woman spread a covering over the well’s mouth and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not discovered.

20 T hen Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

For when Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They went over the brook of water. When they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 I t 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, “ Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.”

After they had departed, the boys came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said, Arise and pass quickly over the river Jordan; for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you.

22 T hen David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.

David arose and all the people with him and passed over the Jordan. By daybreak, not one was left who had not crossed.

23 N ow when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.

But when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, went home to his city, put his household in order, and hanged himself and died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.

24 T hen David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

25 A bsalom set Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.

Absalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of an named Ithra, who married Abigail daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.

26 A nd Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

So Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

27 N ow when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,

When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash of Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim

28 b rought beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans, lentils, parched seeds,

Brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans, lentils, parched,

29 h oney, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him, to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”

Honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of cows for David and the people with him to eat; for they said, The people are hungry, weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.