2 Samuel 17
17
Ahithophel’s Advice About David
1Ahithophel also said to Absalom, “Now, let me choose 12,000 men to chase David tonight. 2I will catch him while he is tired and weak. I will frighten him, and all his people will run away. But I will kill only King David. 3Then I will bring all the people back to you. If David is dead, all the people will come back in peace.”
4This plan seemed good to Absalom and all the leaders of Israel. 5But Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Arkite. I also want to hear what he says.”
Hushai Ruins Ahithophel’s Advice
6Hushai came to Absalom. Absalom said to Hushai, “This is the plan Ahithophel gave. Should we follow it? If not, tell us.”
7Hushai said to Absalom, “Ahithophel’s advice is not good this time.” 8Hushai added, “You know that your father and his men are strong men. They are as dangerous as a wild bear when something has taken its cubs. Your father is a skilled fighter. He will not stay all night with the people. 9He is probably already hiding in a cave or some other place. If your father attacks your men first, people will hear the news and think, ‘Absalom’s followers are losing!’ 10Then even your bravest men will be frightened, because all the Israelites know that your father is a powerful soldier and that his men are very brave.
11“This is what I suggest: You must gather all the Israelites together from Dan to Beersheba.#17:11 Dan to Beersheba This means the whole nation of Israel, north and south. Dan was a town in the northern part of Israel, and Beersheba was in the southern part of Judah. Then there will be many people, like the sand by the sea. Then you yourself must go into the battle. 12We will catch David wherever he is hiding and attack him with so many soldiers that they will be like the dew that covers the ground. We will kill David and all of his men—no one will be left alive. 13But if David escapes into a city, all the Israelites can bring ropes to that city and pull its walls down into the valley. Not even a small stone will be left in that city.”
14Absalom and all the Israelites said, “Hushai’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.” Actually, Ahithophel’s advice was good, but they said this because the Lord had decided to make Ahithophel’s advice useless. He did this to punish Absalom.
Hushai Sends a Warning to David
15Hushai told the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, what was said. He told them what Ahithophel suggested to Absalom and the leaders of Israel. Hushai also told them what he himself had suggested. He said, 16“Send a message to David now! Tell him not to spend the night at the places where people cross into the desert. Tell him to go across the Jordan River at once. If he crosses the river, the king and all his people will not be caught.”
17The priests’ sons, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, did not want to be seen going into the town, so they waited at En Rogel. A servant girl went out to them and gave them the message. Then Jonathan and Ahimaaz carried the message to King David.
18But a boy saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and ran to tell Absalom. Jonathan and Ahimaaz ran away quickly. They arrived at a man’s house in Bahurim. The man had a well in his courtyard.#17:18 courtyard An open area outside the house. Many houses were built around courtyards so that people could work, cook, or eat outside. Jonathan and Ahimaaz went down into this well. 19The man’s wife spread a sheet over the mouth of the well and covered it with grain. The well looked like a pile of grain, so no one would know to look there. 20Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house. They asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
The woman said to Absalom’s servants, “They have already crossed over the brook.”
Absalom’s servants then went to look for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but they could not find them. So Absalom’s servants went back to Jerusalem.
21After Absalom’s servants left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well and went to King David. They said to David, “Hurry, go across the river. Ahithophel is planning to do something to you.”
22So David and his people crossed over the Jordan River. By sunrise, all of David’s people had crossed the Jordan River. No one was left behind.
Ahithophel Kills Himself
23When Ahithophel saw that the Israelites did not do what he suggested, he saddled his donkey and went back to his hometown. He made plans for his family and then hanged himself. They buried him in his father’s tomb.
Absalom Crosses the Jordan River
24David arrived at Mahanaim just as Absalom and the Israelites who were with him crossed over the Jordan River. 25-26Absalom and the Israelites made their camp in the land of Gilead. Absalom had made Amasa the new captain of the army. He took Joab’s place.#17:25-26 He took Joab’s place Joab still supported David. Joab was one of the three captains in David’s army when David was running away from Absalom. See 2 Sam. 18:2. Amasa was the son of Ithra the Ishmaelite.#17:25-26 Ishmaelite This is from the ancient Greek version. The standard Hebrew text has “Israelite,” but see 1 Chron. 2:17. His mother was Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, the sister of Joab’s mother, Zeruiah.#17:25-26 His mother … Zeruiah Literally, “Ithra had sexual relations with Abigail, the daughter of Nahash sister of Zeruiah.”
Shobi, Makir, and Barzillai
27When David arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi, Makir, and Barzillai were there. Shobi son of Nahash was from the Ammonite town of Rabbah. Makir son of Ammiel was from Lo Debar. Barzillai was from Rogelim in Gilead. 28-29These three men said, “The people are tired, hungry, and thirsty from the desert.” So they brought many things to David and those with him. They brought beds, bowls, and other kinds of dishes. They also brought wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, dried seeds, honey, butter, sheep, and cheese made from cow’s milk.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
2 Samuel 17
17
1Ahithophel also said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men so that I may arise and pursue David tonight. 2#2Sa 16:14; 1Ki 22:31I will overtake him while he is weary and weak and strike him with terror; all of the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike only the king, 3and I will return all of the people to you. When all return except the man whom you are seeking, all of the people will be at peace.” 4The advice pleased Absalom and all of the elders of Israel.
5So Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Arkite so that we may hear what he has to say as well.” 6When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “This is what Ahithophel had advised. Should we do this thing? If not, you should tell us.”
7Hushai said to Absalom, “At this time, the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good.” 8#Hos 13:8; 1Sa 16:18Moreover, Hushai said, “You know that your father and his men are warriors, and they have been provoked like a bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is a veteran of warfare. He will not spend the night with the people. 9Even now, he has hidden himself in a ravine or some other place, and when one of them falls in the first attack, whoever hears will say, ‘It was a defeat for the people who follow Absalom.’ 10#Jos 2:9–11Then even the valiant one, whose heart is like that of a lion, will completely despair, for all of Israel knows that your father is a warrior, and those who are with him are brave.
11#Ge 22:17; Jos 11:4“Therefore my advice is for all of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, to be completely gathered to you like the multitude of the sand along the shoreline and for you to go to battle in person. 12We will come upon him in one of the places where he may be found, and we will fall upon him like the dew upon the ground. Neither he nor any of the men who are with him will remain, not a single one. 13If he withdraws into a city, then all of Israel will bring ropes to that city. We will raze it until it is a valley, until there cannot be found there even a pebble.”
14#2Sa 15:34; 15:31Then Absalom and all of the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had decided to undermine the prudent advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring calamity to Absalom.
Hushai Warns David to Escape
15Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do one thing, but I advised them to do another thing. 16#2Sa 15:28Now quickly send someone to report to David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but instead cross over. Otherwise, the king and all of the people who are with him will be swallowed up.’ ”
17#Jos 15:7; 18:16Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. A servant girl would go report to them, and they would go report to King David, because they could not be seen entering the city. 18#2Sa 3:16; 16:5But a young man saw them and reported this to Absalom. So the two of them went quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it. 19The wife took a covering and spread it over the opening of the well. Then she scattered grain over it so that nothing could be discerned.
20#Ex 1:19The servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
She said, “They crossed over the brook of water.” When they searched, they could not find them. So they returned to Jerusalem.
21#2Sa 17:15–16After they left, they came up from the well, went, and reported to King David. They said to David, “Arise and quickly cross over the water because thus has Ahithophel advised against you.” 22So David and all of the people who were with him arose and crossed over the Jordan. By daybreak, there was not one left who had not crossed over the Jordan.
23#2Sa 15:12; 2Ki 20:1When Ahithophel realized that his advice was not followed, he saddled his donkey and returned to his house in his own city. He gave instruction to his household, then he hanged himself and died; he was interred in the tomb of his father.
Absalom’s Death
24#Ge 32:2; 2Sa 2:8David came to Mahanaim as Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and every Israelite with him. 25#2Sa 19:13; 20:9–12Now Absalom had placed Amasa over the army in the place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man named Jether the Ishmaelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab. 26Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.
27#2Sa 9:4; 10:1–2When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Makir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim 28brought bedding, metal bowls, ceramic vessels, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, 29#2Sa 16:2; 16:14honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the livestock for David and the people who were with him to eat and use. For they said, “The people are hungry, exhausted, and thirsting in the wilderness.”
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