2 Samuel 16:15-17:23

Amplified Bible

Absalom Enters Jerusalem

¹⁵ Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁶ Now it happened when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” ¹⁷ Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” ¹⁸ Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whomever the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen [as king], I will be his, and I will remain with him. ¹⁹ Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of David’s son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I shall serve in your presence.”

²⁰ Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me your advice. What should we do?” ²¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s ^[a]concubines, whom he has left behind to take care of the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened [by your boldness and audacity].” ²² So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof [of the king’s palace], and ^[b]Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.^{(A) 23} The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man had consulted the word of God; that is how all Ahithophel’s counsel was regarded by both David and Absalom.

Hushai’s Counsel

17 Then, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000 men, and I will set out and pursue David tonight. ² I will ^[c]strike while he is weary and ^[d]exhausted, and terrify him; and all the people with him will flee [in terror]. Then I will attack the king alone, ³ and I will bring all the people [who follow David] back to you. ^[e]The return of everyone depends on the [death of the] man you are seeking; then all the people will be at peace [and accept you as king].” ⁴ So the plan ^[f]pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

⁵ Nevertheless, Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say.” ⁶ When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “Ahithophel has advised this [plan of action]. Should we do what he says? If not, you speak [and explain why not].” ⁷ So Hushai said to Absalom, “Ahithophel has not given good advice this time.” ⁸ And Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are brave men, and they are ^[g]enraged and fierce, like a bear deprived of her cubs in the field. Your father is a [shrewd] man of war, and will not spend the night with the people [knowing that you seek his life]. ⁹ Behold, he has hidden himself [even] now in one of the ravines or in another place; and when some of ^[h]your troops fall at the first attack, whoever hears about it will say, ‘There has been a defeat among the people who follow Absalom.’ ¹⁰ And even the one who is brave, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely lose heart and melt away; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are brave men. ¹¹ But I advise that all [the men of] Israel be summoned to you, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], like the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle. ¹² So shall we come upon David in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls [unseen and unheard] on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. ¹³ If he retreats into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the ravine until not even a pebble [of it] is found there.” ¹⁴ Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord could bring disaster upon Absalom.

Hushai’s Warning Saves David

¹⁵ Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “This is the advice that Ahithophel gave to Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is the advice that I have given. ¹⁶ Now then, send word quickly and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the ^[i]fords [on the west side of the Jordan] in the wilderness, but by all means cross over [to the east side of the river], or else the king and all the people with him will be destroyed [if Ahithophel is allowed by Absalom to lead an attack].’” ¹⁷ Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz [the priests’ sons] were staying at ^[j]En-rogel, and a maidservant [appearing to go for water] would go and tell them [what was happening], and they would go [secretly] and inform King David; for they could not [allow themselves to] be seen coming into the city [of Jerusalem]. ¹⁸ But a boy saw them and told Absalom; so the two of them left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and [with his permission] they went down into it. ¹⁹ And the woman [of the house] took a covering and spread it over the mouth of the well and scattered grain on it; so nothing was discovered. ²⁰ Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have crossed over the brook.” When they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹ After they left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz came up out of the well and went and informed King David, and said to David, “Arise and cross over the ^[k]Jordan River quickly, for Ahithophel has advised [an attack] against you.” ²² Then David and all the people who were with him departed and crossed over the Jordan. By daybreak, not even one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

²³ Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out and went to his home, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.