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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2 Samuel 17: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
2 Samuel 17
17
1Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue David tonight. 2I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged, and throw him into a panic; and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, 3and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man,#17.3 Gk: Heb like the return of the whole (is) the man whom you seek and all the people will be at peace.” 4The advice pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
The Counsel of Hushai
5Then Absalom said, “Call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear too what he has to say.” 6When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “This is what Ahithophel has said; shall we do as he advises? If not, you tell us.” 7Then Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good.” 8Hushai continued, “You know that your father and his men are warriors, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the troops. 9Even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits, or in some other place. And when some of our troops#17.9 Gk Mss: Heb some of them fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’ 10Then even the valiant warrior, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear; for all Israel knows that your father is a warrior, and that those who are with him are valiant warriors. 11But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beer-sheba, like the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. 12So we shall come upon him in whatever place he may be found, and we shall light on him as the dew falls on the ground; and he will not survive, nor will any of those with him. 13If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there.” 14Absalom 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 defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring ruin on Absalom.
Hushai Warns David to Escape
15Then Hushai said to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and so I have counseled. 16Therefore send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not lodge tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over; otherwise the king and all the people who are with him will be swallowed up.’ ” 17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel; a servant-girl used to go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David; for they could not risk being seen entering the city. 18But a boy saw them, and told Absalom; so both of them went away quickly, and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard; and they went down into it. 19The man's wife took a covering, stretched it over the well's mouth, and spread out grain on it; and nothing was known of it. 20When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman said to them, “They have crossed over the brook#17.20 Meaning of Heb uncertain of water.” And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
21After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told King David. They said to David, “Go and cross the water quickly; for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you.” 22So David and all the people who were with him set out and crossed the Jordan; by daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.
23When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order, and hanged himself; he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.
24Then David came to Mahanaim, while Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army in the place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite,#17.25 1 Chr 2.17: Heb Israelite who had married Abigal daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother. 26The Israelites and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.
27When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans and lentils,#17.28 Heb and lentils and parched grain 29honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat; for they said, “The troops are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.