Absalom Enters Jerusalem

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

²⁰ Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What should we do?” ²¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom, “^(G)Have relations with your father’s concubines, whom he has left behind to take care of the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.” ²² So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, ^(H)and Absalom had relations with his father’s concubines ^(I)in the sight of all Israel. ²³ Now ^(J)the advice of Ahithophel, which he ^[b]gave in those days, was taken as though one inquired of the word of God; ^(K)so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.

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 (L)And I will ^[c]attack him while he is weary and ^[d]exhausted and startle him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then ^(M)I will strike and kill the king when he is alone, ³ and I will bring all the people back to you. ^[e]The return of everyone depends on the man whom you are seeking; then all the people will be at ^(N)peace.” ⁴ And the ^[f]plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

⁵ Nevertheless, Absalom said, “Now call ^(O)Hushai the Archite also, and let’s hear what ^[g]he has to say.” ⁶ When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to ^[h]him, “Ahithophel has ^[i]proposed this plan. Should we ^[j]carry out his plan? If not, say so yourself.” ⁷ So Hushai said to Absalom, “^(P)This time the advice that Ahithophel has ^[k]given is not good.” ⁸ Then Hushai said, “You yourself know your father and his men, that they are warriors and they are ^[l]fierce, ^(Q)like a bear deprived of her cubs in the field. And your father is an ^[m]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, ^(R)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, ^(S)from Dan even to Beersheba, ^(T)like the sand that is by the sea in abundance; and that ^[n]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 ^[o]fall on him ^(U)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 ^(V)drag it into the ^[p]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 ^(W)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 ^(X)Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “^[q]This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do, and ^[r]this is what I have advised. ¹⁶ Now then, send a messenger quickly and tell David, saying, ‘^(Y)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 ^[s]destroyed.’” ^17 (Z)Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at ^(AA)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 ^(AB)in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down ^[t]into it. ¹⁹ And ^(AC)the woman ^[u]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 ^(AD)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, “^(AE)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 ^[v]dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.

²³ Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been ^[w]followed, he saddled his donkey and set out and went to his home, to ^(AF)his city, and ^[x](AG)set his house in order, and ^(AH)hanged himself; so he died and was buried in his father’s grave.