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2 Samuel 16:15-17:23
New American Standard Bible

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.

Footnotes

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

Absalom’s Advisers

15 Now Absalom and all the Israelites came to Jerusalem. Ahithophel was also with him. 16 When David’s friend Hushai the Archite came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”(A)

17 “Is this your loyalty to your friend?” Absalom asked Hushai. “Why didn’t you go with your friend?”

18 “Not at all,” Hushai answered Absalom. “I am on the side of the one that the Lord, the people, and all the men of Israel have chosen. I will stay with him. 19 Furthermore, whom will I serve if not his son? As I served in your father’s presence, I will also serve in yours.”(B)

20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me your advice. What should we do?”

21 Ahithophel replied to Absalom, “Sleep with your father’s concubines he left to take care of the palace.(C) When all Israel hears that you have become repulsive to your father, everyone with you will be encouraged.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.(D)

23 Now the advice Ahithophel gave in those days was like someone asking about a word from God(E)—such was the regard that both David and Absalom had for Ahithophel’s advice. 17 1 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose 12,000 men, and I will set out in pursuit of David tonight. 2 I will attack him while he is weak and weary, throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will scatter. I will strike down only the king 3 and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns except the man you’re seeking, all[a] the people will be at peace.” 4 This proposal seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite also. Let’s hear what he has to say as well.”

6 So Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom told him: “Ahithophel offered this proposal. Should we carry out his proposal? If not, what do you say?”

7 Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given this time is not good.” 8 Hushai continued, “You know your father and his men. They are warriors and are desperate like a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced soldier who won’t spend the night with the people. 9 He’s probably already hiding in one of the caves[b] or some other place. If some of our troops fall[c] first, someone is sure to hear and say, ‘There’s been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ 10 Then, even a brave man with the heart of a lion(F) will melt because all Israel knows that your father and the valiant men with him are warriors. 11 Instead, I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba—as numerous as the sand by the sea—be gathered to you and that you personally go into battle. 12 Then we will attack David wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. Not even one will be left of all the men with him. 13 If he retreats to some city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag its stones into the valley until not even a pebble can be found there.” 14 Since the Lord had decreed(G) that Ahithophel’s good advice be undermined(H) in order to bring about Absalom’s ruin, Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel’s advice.”

David Informed of Absalom’s Plans

15 Hushai then told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “This is what[d] Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what[e] I advised. 16 Now send someone quickly and tell David, ‘Don’t spend the night at the wilderness ford of the Jordan,(I) but be sure to cross over, or the king and all the people with him will be destroyed.’”

17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, because they dared not be seen entering the city. 18 However, a young man did see them and informed Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19 Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything.

20 Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

“They passed by toward the water,”[f] the woman replied to them. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.

21 After they had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed out of the well and went and informed King David. They told him, “Get up and immediately ford the river, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you.” 22 So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one who had not crossed the Jordan. 23 When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He set his affairs in order[g] and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 17:3 LXX reads to you as a bride returns to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all
  2. 2 Samuel 17:9 Or pits, or ravines
  3. 2 Samuel 17:9 Lit And it will be when a falling on them at
  4. 2 Samuel 17:15 Lit Like this and like this
  5. 2 Samuel 17:15 Lit and like this and like this
  6. 2 Samuel 17:20 Or brook; Hb obscure
  7. 2 Samuel 17:23 Lit He commanded his house
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