³¹ Then someone reported to David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.”

“Lord,” David pleaded, “please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”^(A)

³² When David came to the summit where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite^(B) was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you go away with me, you’ll be a burden to me, ³⁴ but if you return to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, my king! Previously, I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can counteract Ahithophel’s counsel for me. ³⁵ Won’t Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report everything you hear from the king’s palace to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Take note: their two sons, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, are there with them. Send me everything you hear through them.” ³⁷ So Hushai,^(C) David’s personal adviser, entered Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.