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2 Samuel 17
New American Standard Bible

Hushai’s Counsel

17 Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men and let me set out and pursue David tonight. 2 (A)And I will [a]attack him while he is weary and [b]exhausted and startle him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then (B)I will strike and kill the king when he is alone, 3 and I will bring all the people back to you. [c]The return of everyone depends on the man whom you are seeking; then all the people will be at (C)peace.” 4 And the [d]plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 Nevertheless, Absalom said, “Now call (D)Hushai the Archite also, and let’s hear what [e]he has to say.” 6 When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to [f]him, “Ahithophel has [g]proposed this plan. Should we [h]carry out his plan? If not, say so yourself.” 7 So Hushai said to Absalom, “(E)This time the advice that Ahithophel has [i]given is not good.” 8 Then Hushai said, “You yourself know your father and his men, that they are warriors and they are [j]fierce, (F)like a bear deprived of her cubs in the field. And your father is an [k]expert in warfare, and he will not spend the night with the people. 9 Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the ravines, or in another place; and it will be that when he falls on them at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom!’ 10 And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, (G)will completely despair; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. 11 But I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, (H)from Dan even to Beersheba, (I)like the sand that is by the sea in abundance; and that [l]you personally go into battle. 12 Then we will come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will [m]fall on him (J)just 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. 13 And if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will (K)drag it into the [n]valley until not even a pebble is found there.” 14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For (L)the Lord had ordained to foil the good advice of Ahithophel, in order for the Lord to bring disaster on Absalom.

Hushai’s Warning Saves David

15 Then (M)Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “[o]This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do, and [p]this is what I have advised. 16 Now then, send a messenger quickly and tell David, saying, ‘(N)Do not spend the night at the river crossing places of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be [q]destroyed.’” 17 (O)Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at (P)En-rogel, and a female servant would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not allow themselves to be seen entering the city. 18 But a boy did see them, and he told Absalom; so the two of them left quickly and came to the house of a man (Q)in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down [r]into it. 19 And (R)the woman [s]took a cover and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered barley meal on it, so that nothing was known. 20 Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And (S)the woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and did not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 It came about after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and reported to King David; and they said to David, “(T)Set out and cross over the water quickly, because this is what Ahithophel has advised against you.” 22 Then David and all the people who were with him set out and crossed the Jordan; by [t]dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been [u]followed, he saddled his donkey and set out and went to his home, to (U)his city, and [v](V)set his house in order, and (W)hanged himself; so he died and was buried in his father’s grave.

24 Then David came to (X)Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 25 Absalom put (Y)Amasa [w]in command of the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was [x]Ithra the Israelite, who [y]had relations with Abigail the daughter of (Z)Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26 And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27 Now when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi (AA)the son of Nahash from (AB)Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, (AC)Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and (AD)Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28 brought (AE)beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted seeds, 29 honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him, (AF)to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry and exhausted and thirsty in the wilderness.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 17:2 Lit come upon
  2. 2 Samuel 17:2 Lit slack of hands
  3. 2 Samuel 17:3 Lit As the return of the whole is the man whom you seek
  4. 2 Samuel 17:4 Lit word was pleasing in the sight of
  5. 2 Samuel 17:5 Lit is in his mouth—even he
  6. 2 Samuel 17:6 Lit him, saying
  7. 2 Samuel 17:6 Lit spoken according to this word
  8. 2 Samuel 17:6 Lit do his word
  9. 2 Samuel 17:7 Lit advised
  10. 2 Samuel 17:8 Lit bitter of soul
  11. 2 Samuel 17:8 Lit man of war
  12. 2 Samuel 17:11 Lit your face goes
  13. 2 Samuel 17:12 Lit settle down
  14. 2 Samuel 17:13 Or wadi; i.e., a dry stream bed
  15. 2 Samuel 17:15 Lit According to this and this
  16. 2 Samuel 17:15 Lit According to this and this
  17. 2 Samuel 17:16 Lit swallowed up
  18. 2 Samuel 17:18 Lit there
  19. 2 Samuel 17:19 Lit took and spread the covering
  20. 2 Samuel 17:22 Lit the light of the morning
  21. 2 Samuel 17:23 Lit done
  22. 2 Samuel 17:23 Lit ordered in regard to
  23. 2 Samuel 17:25 Lit over the army
  24. 2 Samuel 17:25 In 1 Chr 2:17, Jether the Ishmaelite
  25. 2 Samuel 17:25 Lit came in to
Close NLT

2 Samuel 17
New Living Translation

17 Now Ahithophel urged Absalom, “Let me choose 12,000 men to start out after David tonight. 2 I will catch up with him while he is weary and discouraged. He and his troops will panic, and everyone will run away. Then I will kill only the king, 3 and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only one man’s life that you seek.[a] Then you will be at peace with all the people.” 4 This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

Hushai Counters Ahithophel’s Advice

5 But then Absalom said, “Bring in Hushai the Arkite. Let’s see what he thinks about this.” 6 When Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had said. Then he asked, “What is your opinion? Should we follow Ahithophel’s advice? If not, what do you suggest?”

7 “Well,” Hushai replied to Absalom, “this time Ahithophel has made a mistake. 8 You know your father and his men; they are mighty warriors. Right now they are as enraged as a mother bear who has been robbed of her cubs. And remember that your father is an experienced man of war. He won’t be spending the night among the troops. 9 He has probably already hidden in some pit or cave. And when he comes out and attacks and a few of your men fall, there will be panic among your troops, and the word will spread that Absalom’s men are being slaughtered. 10 Then even the bravest soldiers, though they have the heart of a lion, will be paralyzed with fear. For all Israel knows what a mighty warrior your father is and how courageous his men are.

11 “I recommend that you mobilize the entire army of Israel, bringing them from as far away as Dan in the north and Beersheba in the south. That way you will have an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And I advise that you personally lead the troops. 12 When we find David, we’ll fall on him like dew that falls on the ground. Then neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. 13 And if David were to escape into some town, you will have all Israel there at your command. Then we can take ropes and drag the walls of the town into the nearest valley until every stone is torn down.”

14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “Hushai’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.” For the Lord had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster on Absalom!

Hushai Warns David to Escape

15 Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had said to Absalom and the elders of Israel and what he himself had advised instead. 16 “Quick!” he told them. “Find David and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the Jordan River[b] tonight. He must go across at once into the wilderness beyond. Otherwise he will die and his entire army with him.”

17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for a servant girl to bring them the message they were to take to King David. 18 But a boy spotted them at En-rogel, and he told Absalom about it. So they quickly escaped to Bahurim, where a man hid them down inside a well in his courtyard. 19 The man’s wife put a cloth over the top of the well and scattered grain on it to dry in the sun; so no one suspected they were there.

20 When Absalom’s men arrived, they asked her, “Have you seen Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

The woman replied, “They were here, but they crossed over the brook.” Absalom’s men looked for them without success and returned to Jerusalem.

21 Then the two men crawled out of the well and hurried on to King David. “Quick!” they told him, “cross the Jordan tonight!” And they told him how Ahithophel had advised that he be captured and killed. 22 So David and all the people with him went across the Jordan River during the night, and they were all on the other bank before dawn.

23 When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He died there and was buried in the family tomb.

24 David soon arrived at Mahanaim. By now, Absalom had mobilized the entire army of Israel and was leading his troops across the Jordan River. 25 Absalom had appointed Amasa as commander of his army, replacing Joab, who had been commander under David. (Amasa was Joab’s cousin. His father was Jether,[c] an Ishmaelite.[d] His mother, Abigail daughter of Nahash, was the sister of Joab’s mother, Zeruiah.) 26 Absalom and the Israelite army set up camp in the land of Gilead.

27 When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was warmly greeted by Shobi son of Nahash, who came from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and by Makir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and by Barzillai of Gilead from Rogelim. 28 They brought sleeping mats, cooking pots, serving bowls, wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans, lentils, 29 honey, butter, sheep, goats, and cheese for David and those who were with him. For they said, “You must all be very hungry and tired and thirsty after your long march through the wilderness.”

Footnotes

  1. 17:3 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads like the return of all is the man whom you seek.
  2. 17:16 Hebrew at the crossing points of the wilderness.
  3. 17:25a Hebrew Ithra, a variant spelling of Jether.
  4. 17:25b As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 1 Chr 2:17); Hebrew reads an Israelite.
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