Furthermore, Ahithophel said
to Absalom
, "Please
let me choose
12,000
men
that I may arise
and pursue
David
tonight
.
" aI will come upon him while he is weary
and 1exhausted
and terrify
him, so that all
the people
who
are with him will flee
. Then bI will strike
down
the king
alone
,
and I will bring back
all
the people
to you. 1The return
of everyone
depends on the man
you seek
; then all
the people
will be at apeace
."
So the 1plan pleased
Absalom
and all
the elders
of Israel
.
Then Absalom said
, "Now
call
aHushai
the Archite
also
, and let us hear
what
1he has to say
."
When Hushai
had come
to Absalom
, Absalom
said
to 1him, "Ahithophel
has spoken
2thus
. Shall we 3carry
out his plan
? If
not, you speak
."
So Hushai said
to Absalom
, " aThis
time
the advice
that Ahithophel
has 1given
is not good
."
Moreover, Hushai said
, "You know
your father
and his men
, that they are mighty
men
and they are 1fierce
, alike a bear
robbed
of her cubs
in the field
. And your father
is an 2expert
in warfare
, and will not spend
the night
with the people
.
"Behold, he has now
hidden
himself
in one
of the 1caves
or
in another
place
; and it will be 2when
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
.'
"And even the one
who is valiant
, whose
heart
is like the heart
of a lion
, awill completely
1lose
heart
; for all
Israel
knows
that your father
is a mighty
man
and those who
are with him are valiant
men
.
"But I counsel that all
Israel
be surely
gathered
to you, afrom Dan
even to Beersheba
, bas the sand
that is by the sea
in abundance
, and that 1you personally
go
into battle
.
"So we shall come to him in one
of the places
where
he can be found
, and we will 1fall
on him aas the dew
falls
on the ground
; and of him and of all
the men
who
are with him, not even
one
will be left
.
"If he withdraws
into a city
, then all
Israel
shall bring
ropes
to that city
, and we will adrag
it into the 1valley
until
not even
a small
stone
is found
there
."
Then Absalom and all
the men
of Israel
said
, "The counsel
of Hushai
the Archite
is better
than
the counsel
of Ahithophel
." For athe LORD
had ordained
to thwart
the good
counsel
of Ahithophel
, so
that the LORD
might bring
calamity
on Absalom
.
Then aHushai said
to Zadok
and to Abiathar
the priests
, " 1This
is what
Ahithophel
counseled
Absalom
and the elders
of Israel
, and 1this
is what
I have counseled
.
"Now therefore, send
quickly
and tell
David
, saying
, ` aDo 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 1destroyed
.' "
aNow Jonathan and Ahimaaz
were staying
at bEn-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
.
But a lad did see
them and told
Absalom
; so the two
of them departed
quickly
and came
to the house
of a man
ain Bahurim
, who had a well
in his courtyard
, and they went
down
1into it.
And athe woman 1took
a covering
and spread
it over
the well's
mouth
and scattered
grain
on it, so that nothing
was known
.
Then Absalom's servants
came
to the woman
at the house
and said
, "Where
are Ahimaaz
and Jonathan
?" And athe woman
said
to them, "They have crossed
the brook
of water
." And when
they searched
and could not find
them, they returned
to Jerusalem
.
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
, " aArise
and cross
over
the water
quickly
for thus
Ahithophel
has counseled
against
you."
Then David and all
the people
who
were with him arose
and crossed
the Jordan
; and by 1dawn
not even
one
remained
who
had not crossed
the Jordan
.
Now when Ahithophel
saw
that his counsel
was not 1followed
, he 2saddled
his donkey
and arose
and went
to his home
, to ahis city
, and 3 bset
his house
in order
, and cstrangled
himself; thus he died
and was buried
in the grave
of his father
.
Then David came
to aMahanaim
. And Absalom
crossed
the Jordan
, he and all
the men
of Israel
with him.
Absalom set
aAmasa
over
the army
in place
of Joab
. Now Amasa
was the son
of a man
whose name
was 1Ithra
the Israelite
, who
went
in to Abigail
the daughter
of bNahash
, sister
of Zeruiah
, Joab's
mother
.
And Israel and Absalom
camped
in the land
of Gilead
.
Now when David had come
to Mahanaim
, Shobi
athe son
of Nahash
from bRabbah
of the sons
of Ammon
, cMachir
the son
of Ammiel
from Lo-debar
, and dBarzillai
the Gileadite
from Rogelim
,
brought abeds
, basins
, pottery
, wheat
, barley
, flour
, parched
grain, beans
, lentils
, parched
seeds,
honey, curds
, sheep
, and cheese
of the herd
, for David
and for the people
who
were with him, ato eat
; for they said
, "The people
are hungry
and weary
and thirsty
in the wilderness
."