2 Samuel 17
17:1And Ahithophel said to Absalom, I shall choose indeed for myself twelve thousand men, and I shall rise up and pursue after David at night.
17:2And I shall come upon him, and he will be tiring and loosening his hand, and I shall startle him, and all the people with him shall flee, and I shall strike the king alone.
17:3And I shall return all the people to you, in which manner a bride returns to her husband. Besides you seek the life of one man, and all the people will be at peace.
17:4And the word was pleasing in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.
17:5And Absalom said, Call indeed Hushai the Archite, and I shall hear what is in his mouth, and indeed of him.
17:6And Hushai entered to Absalom. And Absalom said to him, saying, According to this thing Ahithophel spoke. Shall we do according to his word? But if not you speak!
17:7And Hushai said to Absalom, It is not good, this counsel which Ahithophel counseled this one time.
17:8And Hushai said, You know your father, and his men, that they are exceedingly mighty, and their soul is very bitter as a bear being made childless in the plain. And your father is a warrior man, and in no way shall he rest the people.
17:9For behold he now hides in one of the canyons, or in one of the places. And it will be when they fall upon them at the beginning, that one shall hear the hearing, and should say, There was a devastation among the people, to the one following after Absalom.
17:10And indeed any son of power whose heart is as the heart of a lion, in melting away he shall melt away, for all Israel knows that your father is mighty and the sons of power, all the ones with him.
17:11Thus advising, I advised. And all Israel in gathering together shall gather together unto you, from Dan and unto Beer-sheba, as the sand upon the sea in multitude. And your presence shall be going in the midst of them.
17:12And we shall come upon him in one of the places, which ever we should find him there. And we shall camp upon him as falls the dew upon the ground. And we shall not leave behind among to him, and of his men with him, even indeed one.
17:13And if he should gather into the city, then all Israel shall take lines against that city, and drag it apart unto the rushing stream, unto not leaving behind there neither a stone.
17:14And Absalom said, and every man of Israel, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is good over the counsel of Ahithophel. And the lord gave charge to efface the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the lord should bring the bad things upon Absalom.
17:15And Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, So and so advised Ahithophel to Absalom, and to the elders of Israel, and so and so I advised.
17:16And now send quickly and report to David! saying, You should not lodge the night according to the descent of the wilderness, but by passing over, pass over! so that the king should not be swallowed down, and all the people, the one with him.
17:17And Jonathan and Ahimaaz stopped at the spring of Rogel. And came forth the maidservant, and she reported to them. And they went and reported to king David, for they were not able to appear to enter into the city.
17:18And a young man beheld them, and he reported to Absalom. And the two went quickly, and they entered into a house of a man in Bahurim, and unto his cistern in the courtyard, and they went down there.
17:19And a woman took and opened and spread out a covering over the mouth of the cistern. And she cooled dried clusters upon it, and they did not know the thing.
17:20And the servants of Absalom came to the woman, into the house, and they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They went for a little water. And they sought and did not find them, and they returned unto Jerusalem.
17:21And it came to pass, after their going forth, they ascended from out of the cistern, and went, and reported to king David. And they say to him, Rise up and pass over the water quickly! for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.
17:22And David rose up, and all the people with him, and they passed over the Jordan until the light of the morning, until one was not unaware of who did not pass over the Jordan.
17:23And Ahithophel knew that he had not taken his counsel, and he saddled his donkey, and rose up, and went forth to his house in his city. And he gave charge to his household, and he hung himself, and died. And they entombed him in the burying-place of his father.
17:24And David went through unto Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and every man of Israel with him.
17:25And Absalom placed Amasa instead of Joab over the force. And Amasa was a son of a man, and the name to him was Ithra the Israelite. This one entered to Abigail, daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, mother of Joab.
17:26And Absalom camped and all Israel in the land of Gilead.
17:27And it came to pass when David entered into Mahanaim, that Shobi son of Nahash, from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,
17:28brought beds, and spreads, and kettles, and ceramic utensils, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and beans, and lentils and toasted grain,
17:29and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese from oxen. And they brought near to David, and to the people with him to eat; for they said, The people are hungering, and fainting, and thirsting, in the wilderness.