2 Samuel 17
17
1One day Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Here’s what I suggest. Choose 12,000 men. Start out tonight and go after David. 2Attack him while he’s tired and weak. Fill him with terror. Then all the people with him will run away. Don’t strike down anyone except the king. 3Bring all the other people back. After the man you want to kill is dead, everyone else will return to you. And none of the people will be harmed.” 4Ahithophel’s plan seemed good to Absalom. It also seemed good to all the elders of Israel.
5But Absalom said, “Send for Hushai, the Arkite. Then we can find out what he suggests as well.” 6Hushai came to him. Absalom said, “Ahithophel has given us his advice. Should we do what he says? If we shouldn’t, tell us what you would do.”
7Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given you isn’t good this time. 8You know your father and his men. They are fighters. They are as strong as a wild bear whose cubs have been stolen from her. Besides, your father really knows how to fight. He won’t spend the night with his troops. 9In fact, he’s probably hiding in a cave or some other place right now. Suppose he attacks your troops first. When people hear about it, they’ll say, ‘Many of the troops who followed Absalom have been killed.’ 10Then the hearts of your soldiers will melt away in fear. Even those as brave as a lion will be terrified. That’s because everyone in Israel knows that your father is a fighter. They know that those with him are brave.
11“So here’s what I suggest. Bring together all the men of Israel from the town of Dan all the way to Beersheba. They are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. You yourself should lead them into battle. 12Then we’ll attack David no matter where we find him. As dew completely covers the ground, we’ll completely overpower his entire army. We won’t leave him or any of his men alive. 13He might try to get away by going into a city. If he does, all of us will bring ropes to that city. We’ll drag the whole city down into the valley. Not even a pebble of that city will be left.”
14Absalom and all the men of Israel agreed. They said, “The advice of Hushai, the Arkite, is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” The Lord had decided that Ahithophel’s good advice would fail. The Lord wanted to bring horrible trouble on Absalom.
15Hushai spoke to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. He said, “Ahithophel has given advice to Absalom and the elders of Israel. He suggested that they should do one thing. But I suggested something else. 16Send a message right away. Tell David, ‘Don’t spend the night in the desert at a place where people cross the Jordan River. Make sure you go on across. If you don’t, you and all the people with you will be swallowed up.’ ”
17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel just outside Jerusalem. They knew they would be in danger if anyone saw them entering the city. A female servant was supposed to go and tell them what had happened. Then they were supposed to go and tell King David. 18But a young man saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom about it. So the two men left right away. They went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard. They climbed down into it. 19The man’s wife got a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well. Then she scattered grain on the covering. So no one knew that the men were hiding in the well.
20Absalom’s men came to the house. They asked the woman, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
She answered, “They went across the brook.” When the men looked around, they didn’t find anyone. So they returned to Jerusalem.
21After they had gone, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. They went to tell King David what they had found out. They said to him, “Go across the river right away. Ahithophel has told Absalom how to come after you and strike you down.” 22So David and all the people with him started out. They went across the Jordan River. By sunrise, everyone had crossed over.
23Ahithophel saw that his advice wasn’t being followed. So he put a saddle on his donkey. He started out for his house in his hometown. When he arrived, he made everything ready for his death. He made out his will. Then he killed himself. And so he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
Absalom Dies
24David went to Mahanaim. Absalom went across the Jordan River with all the men of Israel. 25Absalom had made Amasa commander of the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether. Jether belonged to the family line of Ishmael. He had married Abigail. She was the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Zeruiah. Zeruiah was the mother of Joab. 26Absalom and the Israelites camped in the land of Gilead.
27David came to Mahanaim. Shobi, the son of Nahash, met him there. Shobi was from Rabbah in the land of Ammon. Makir, the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, met him there too. So did Barzillai from Rogelim in the land of Gilead. 28They brought beds, bowls and clay pots. They brought wheat, barley, flour, and grain that had been cooked. They brought beans and lentils. 29They brought honey, butter, sheep, and cheese that was made from cows’ milk. They brought all that food for David and his people to eat. They said, “These people have become tired. They’ve become hungry and thirsty in the desert.”
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2 Samuel 17: NIrV
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2 Samuel 17
17
1Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out in pursuit of David tonight. 2I will attack him while he is weary and discouraged,#17:2 Lit and weak of hands throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will scatter. I will strike down only the king#1Kg 22:31 3and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns except the man you’re looking for, all#17:3 LXX reads to you as a bride returns to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace.” 4This proposal seemed right to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
5Then Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite also. Let’s hear what he has to say as well.”
6So Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom told him, “Ahithophel offered this proposal. Should we carry out his proposal? If not, what do you say?”
7Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given this time is not good.” 8Hushai continued, “You know your father and his men. They are warriors and are desperate like a wild bear robbed of her cubs.#Pr 17:12; Hs 13:8 Your father is an experienced soldier who won’t spend the night with the people. 9He’s probably already hiding in one of the caves#17:9 Or pits, or ravines or some other place. If some of our troops fall#17:9 Lit And it will be when a falling on them at first, someone is sure to hear and say, ‘There’s been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ 10Then, even a brave man with the heart of a lion#Am 3:8 will lose heart#17:10 Lit melt because all Israel knows that your father and the valiant men with him are warriors. 11Instead, I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba — as numerous as the sand by the sea#Gn 22:17 — be gathered to you and that you personally go into battle. 12Then we will attack David wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. Not even one will be left—neither he nor any of the men with him. 13If he retreats to some city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag its stones#17:13 Lit drag it into the valley until not even a pebble can be found there.” 14Since the Lord had decreed#Pr 21:30; 1Co 1:19 that Ahithophel’s good advice be undermined#2Sm 15:31–34 in order to bring about Absalom’s ruin, Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel’s advice.”
David Informed of Absalom’s Plans
15Hushai then told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “This is what#17:15 Lit “Like this and like this Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what#17:15 Lit and like this and like this I advised. 16Now send someone quickly and tell David, ‘Don’t spend the night at the wilderness ford,#17:16 Some Hb mss; MT reads plains but be sure to cross over the Jordan,#17:16 the Jordan supplied for clarity#2Sm 15:28 or the king and all the people with him will be devoured.’”
17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, because they dared not be seen entering the city. 18However, a young man did see them and informed Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything.
20Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
“They passed by toward the water,”#17:20 Or brook; Hb obscure the woman replied to them. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.
21After they had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed out of the well and went and informed King David. They told him, “Get up and immediately ford the river, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you.” 22So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one who had not crossed the Jordan.
23When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He set his house in order and hanged himself.#Mt 27:5 So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
24David had arrived at Mahanaim by the time Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25Now Absalom had appointed Amasa#2Sm 19:13; 20:9–12; 1Kg 2:5,32 over the army in Joab’s place. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra#17:25 Or Jether the Israelite;#17:25 Some LXX mss read Ishmaelite#1Ch 2:13–17 Ithra had married Abigail daughter of Nahash.#17:25 Some LXX mss read Jesse Abigail was a sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead. 27When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash#2Sm 10:1–2 from Rabbah#2Sm 12:26–29 of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar,#2Sm 9:4 and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim#2Sm 19:31–32; 1Kg 2:7; Ezr 2:61 28brought beds, basins,#17:28 LXX reads brought 10 embroidered beds with double coverings, 10 vessels and pottery items. They also brought wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,#17:28 LXX, Syr; MT adds roasted grain 29honey, curds, sheep, goats, and cheese#17:29 Hb obscure from the herd for David and the people with him to eat. They had reasoned, “The people must be hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
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