2 Samuel 17

New King James Version

The Advice of Ahithophel and Hushai

17 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Now let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight.² I will come upon him while heis^(A)weary and weak, and make him^[a]afraid. And all the people whoarewith him will flee, and I will^(B)strike only the king.³ Then I will bring back all the people to you. When all return except the man whom you seek, all the people will be at peace.”⁴ And the saying pleased Absalom and all the^(C)elders of Israel.

The Advice of Hushai

⁵ Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he^(D)says too.”⁶ And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken in this manner. Shall we do as he says? If not, speak up.”

⁷ So Hushai said to Absalom: “The advice that Ahithophel has givenisnot good at this time.⁸ For,” said Hushai, “you know your father and his men, that theyaremighty men, and theyareenraged in their minds, like^(E)a bear robbed of her cubs in the field; and your fatherisa man of war, and will not camp with the people.⁹ Surely by now he is hidden in some pit, or in someotherplace. And it will be, when some of them are overthrown at the first, that whoever hearsitwill say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’¹⁰ And even hewho isvaliant, whose heartislike the heart of a lion, will^(F)melt completely. For all Israel knows that your fatherisa mighty man, andthosewhoarewith himarevaliant men.¹¹ Therefore I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you,^(G)from Dan to Beersheba,^(H)like the sand thatisby the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person.¹² So we will come upon him in some place where he may be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground. And of him and all the men whoarewith him there shall not be left so much as one.¹³ Moreover, if he has withdrawn into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city; and we will^(I)pull it into the river, until there is not one small stone found there.”

¹⁴ So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Architeisbetter than the advice of Ahithophel.” For^(J)theLordhad purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that theLordmight bring disaster on Absalom.

Hushai Warns David to Escape

^15 (K)Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Thus and so Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so I have advised.¹⁶ Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend this night^(L)in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily cross over, lest the king and all the people whoarewith him be swallowed up.’ ”^17 (M)Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz^(N)stayed at^(O)En Rogel, for they dared not be seen coming into the city; so a female servant would come and tell them, and they would go and tell King David.¹⁸ Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom. But both of them went away quickly and came to a man’s house^(P)in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down into it.^19 (Q)Then the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known.²⁰ And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, “WhereareAhimaaz and Jonathan?”

So^(R)the woman said to them, “They have gone over the water brook.”

And when they had searched and could not findthem,they returned to Jerusalem.²¹ Now it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said to David,^(S)“Arise and cross over the water quickly. For thus has Ahithophel advised against you.”²² So David and all the people whowerewith him arose and crossed over the Jordan. By morning light not one of them was left who had not gone over the Jordan.

²³ Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to^(T)his house, to his city. Then he^[b]put his^(U)household in order, and^(V)hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb.

²⁴ Then David went to^(W)Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.²⁵ And Absalom made^(X)Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. This Amasawasthe son of a man whose namewas^[c]Jithra, an^[d]Israelite, who had gone in to^(Y)Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.²⁶ So Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷ Now it happened, when David had come to Mahanaim, that^(Z)Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon,^(AA)Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and^(AB)Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,²⁸ brought beds and basins, earthen vessels and wheat, barley and flour, parchedgrainand beans, lentils and parchedseeds,²⁹ honey and curds, sheep and cheese of the herd, for David and the people whowerewith him to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty^(AC)in the wilderness.”