2 Samuel 17 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Absalom Calls for Hushai’s Counsel

Then Ahithophel^H302 said^H559 to Absalom^H53, “Please^H4994 let me choose^H977 12,000^H8147^H6240^H505 men^H376 that I may arise^H6965 and pursue^H7291 David^H1732 tonight^H3915.

2Sa 17:2

2Sa 17:2“And I will come upon him while he is weary with his hands falling limp and throw him into utter fright, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone,

2Sa 17:3

2Sa 17:3and I will cause all the people to return to you. [fn]The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at peace.”

2Sa 17:4

2Sa 17:4And the word was right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

2Sa 17:5

Then Absalom^H53 said^H559, “Call^H7121 now^H4994 Hushai^H2365 the Archite^H757 also^H1571, and let us hear^H8085 what^H4100 is also in his mouth^H6310.”

2Sa 17:6

2Sa 17:6Then Hushai came to Absalom. And Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken [fn]thus. Shall we [fn]carry out his word? If not, you speak.”

2Sa 17:7

2Sa 17:7And Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the counsel that Ahithophel has counseled is not good.”

2Sa 17:8

2Sa 17:8Then Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are bitter of soul, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not spend the night with the people.

2Sa 17:9

2Sa 17:9“Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the [fn]caves or in another place; and it will be [fn]when he falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’

2Sa 17:10

2Sa 17:10“And even the one who is a man of valor, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are men of valor.

2Sa 17:11

2Sa 17:11“But I counsel that all Israel be utterly gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that [fn]you personally go into battle.

2Sa 17:12

2Sa 17:12“So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will set down on him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left.

2Sa 17:13

2Sa 17:13“If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall carry ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the [fn]valley until not even a small stone is found there.”

2Sa 17:14

2Sa 17:14Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For Yahweh had [fn]ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that Yahweh might bring calamity on Absalom.

Hushai Informs David

2Sa 17:15

Then Hushai^H2365 said^H559 to Zadok^H6659 and to Abiathar^H54 the priests^H3548, “[fn]This^H2088 is what^H2088 Ahithophel^H302 counseled^H3289 Absalom^H53 and the elders^H2205 of Israel^H3478, and [fn]this^H2088 is what^H2088 I have counseled^H3289.

2Sa 17:16

2Sa 17:16“So now, send quickly and inform David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’”

2Sa 17:17

2Sa 17:17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a servant-woman would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not be seen entering the city.

2Sa 17:18

2Sa 17:18But a boy did see them and informed Absalom; so the two of them went quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down [fn]into it.

2Sa 17:19

2Sa 17:19And the woman [fn]took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered crushed grain on it, so that nothing was known.

2Sa 17:20

2Sa 17:20Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

2Sa 17:21

Now it happened^H1961 after^H310 they went^H1980 away, that they came^H5927 up^H5927 out of the well^H875 and went^H1980 and informed^H5046 King^H4428 David^H1732; and they said^H559 to David^H1732, “Arise^H6965 and cross^H5674 over^H5674 the water^H4325 quickly^H4120 for thus^H3602 Ahithophel^H302 has counseled^H3289 against^H5921 you.”

2Sa 17:22

2Sa 17:22Then David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by [fn]dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.

2Sa 17:23

Now^H834 Ahithophel^H302 saw^H7200 that his counsel^H6098 was not [fn]followed^H6213. So he [fn]saddled^H2280 his donkey^H2543 and arose^H6965 and went^H1980 to his home^H1004, to his city^H5892, and [fn]set^H6680 his house^H1004 in^H6680 order^H6680, and strangled^H2614 himself; thus he died^H4191 and was buried^H6912 in the grave^H6913 of his father^H1.

2Sa 17:24

Now David^H1732 came^H935 to Mahanaim^H4266. And Absalom^H53 crossed^H5674 the Jordan^H3383, he and all^H3605 the men^H376 of Israel^H3478 with him.

2Sa 17:25

2Sa 17:25And Absalom set Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was [fn]Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.

2Sa 17:26

2Sa 17:26And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

2Sa 17:27

Now it happened that when David^H1732 had come^H935 to Mahanaim^H4266, Shobi^H7629 the son^H1121 of Nahash^H5176 from Rabbah^H7237 of the sons^H1121 of Ammon^H5983, Machir^H4353 the son^H1121 of Ammiel^H5988 from Lo-debar^H3810, and Barzillai^H1271 the Gileadite^H1569 from Rogelim^H7274,

2Sa 17:28

2Sa 17:28brought beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted seeds,

2Sa 17:29

2Sa 17:29honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him, to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”