Moreover Ahithophel said
unto Absalom
, Let me now choose out
twelve
thousand
men
, and I will arise
and pursue
after
David
this night
:
And I will come upon him while he is weary
and weak
handed
, and will make him afraid
: and all the people
that are with him shall flee
; and I will smite
the king
only:
And I will bring back all the people
unto thee: the man
whom thou seekest
is as if all returned
: so all the people
shall be in peace
.
And the saying pleased
Absalom
well
, and all the elders
of Israel
.
Then said Absalom
, Call
now Hushai
the Archite
also, and let us hear
likewise what he saith
.
And when Hushai was come
to Absalom
, Absalom
spake
unto him, saying
, Ahithophel
hath spoken
after this manner
: shall we do
after his saying
? if not; speak
thou.
And Hushai said
unto Absalom
, The counsel
that Ahithophel
hath given
is not good
at this time
.
For, said Hushai
, thou knowest
thy father
and his men
, that they be mighty men
, and they be chafed
in their minds
, as a bear
robbed
of her whelps in the field
: and thy father
is a man
of war
, and will not lodge
with the people
.
Behold, he is hid now in some
pit
, or in some
other place
: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown
at the first
, that whosoever
heareth
it will say
, There is a slaughter
among the people
that follow
Absalom
.
And he also that is valiant, whose heart
is as the heart
of a lion
, shall utterly
melt
: for all Israel
knoweth
that thy father
is a mighty man
, and they which be with him are valiant
men
.
Therefore I counsel that all Israel
be generally
gathered
unto thee, from Dan
even to Beersheba
, as the sand
that is by the sea
for multitude
; and that thou go
to battle
in thine own person
.
So shall we come upon him in some
place
where he shall be found
, and we will light
upon him as the dew
falleth
on the ground
: and of him and of all the men
that are with him there shall not be left
so much as
one
.
Moreover, if he be gotten
into a city
, then shall all Israel
bring
ropes
to that city
, and we will draw
it into the river
, until there be not one
small stone
found
there.
And 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 appointed
to defeat
the good
counsel
of Ahithophel
, to the intent
that the LORD
might bring
evil
upon Absalom
.
Then said Hushai
unto Zadok
and to Abiathar
the priests
, Thus and thus did Ahithophel
counsel
Absalom
and the elders
of Israel
; and thus and thus have I counselled
.
Now therefore send quickly
, and tell
David
, saying
, Lodge
not this night
in the plains
of the wilderness
, but speedily
pass over
; lest the king
be swallowed up
, and all the people
that are with him.
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz
stayed
by Enrogel
; for they might
not be seen
to come
into the city
: and a wench
went
and told
them; and they went
and told
king
David
.
Nevertheless a lad saw
them, and told
Absalom
: but they went
both
of them away quickly
, and came
to a man's
house
in Bahurim
, which had a well
in his court
; whither
they went down
.
And the woman took
and spread
a covering
over the well's
mouth
, and spread
ground corn
thereon; and the thing
was not known
.
And when Absalom's servants
came
to the woman
to the house
, they said
, Where is Ahimaaz
and Jonathan
? And the woman
said
unto them, They be gone over
the brook
of water
. And when they had sought
and could not find
them , they returned
to Jerusalem
.
And it came to pass, after they were departed
, that they came up
out of the well
, and went
and told
king
David
, and said
unto David
, Arise
, and pass quickly
over
the water
: for thus hath Ahithophel
counselled
against you.
Then David arose
, and all the people
that were with him, and they passed over
Jordan
: by the morning
light
there lacked
not one
of them that was not gone over
Jordan
.
And when Ahithophel saw
that his counsel
was not followed
, he saddled
his ass
, and arose
, and gat him home
to his house
, to his city
, and put his household
in order
, and hanged
himself, and died
, and was buried
in the sepulchre
of his father
.
Then David came
to Mahanaim
. And Absalom
passed over
Jordan
, he and all the men
of Israel
with him.
And Absalom made
Amasa
captain of the host
instead of Joab
: which Amasa
was a man's
son
, whose name
was Ithra
an Israelite
, that went in
to Abigail
the daughter
of Nahash
, sister
to Zeruiah
Joab's
mother
.
So Israel and Absalom
pitched
in the land
of Gilead
.
And it came to pass, when David was come
to Mahanaim
, that Shobi
the son
of Nahash
of Rabbah
of the children
of Ammon
, and Machir
the son
of Ammiel
of Lodebar
, and Barzillai
the Gileadite
of Rogelim
,
Brought beds
, and basons
, and earthen
vessels
, and wheat
, and barley
, and flour
, and parched
corn , and beans
, and lentiles
, and parched
pulse ,
And honey, and butter
, and sheep
, and cheese
of kine
, for David
, and for the people
that were with him, to eat
: for they said
, The people
is hungry
, and weary
, and thirsty
, in the wilderness
.