Book of Common Prayer

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Saving Goodness.

The Lord Extolled for His Goodness.

A Psalm of praise. Of David.

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 ^[a]strike while he is weary and ^[b]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. ^[c]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 ^[d]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 ^[e]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 ^[f]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 ^[g]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 ^[h]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 ^[i]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.

⁶ Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, [as conformity to God’s will and purpose—so it is with you also].^{(A) 7} So understand that it is the people who live by faith [with confidence in the power and goodness of God] who are [the true] sons of ^[a]Abraham. ⁸ The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the good news [of the Savior] to Abraham in advance [with this promise], saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”^{(B) 9} So then those who are people of faith [whether Jew or Gentile] are blessed and favored by God [and declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with Him] along with Abraham, the believer.

¹⁰ For all who depend on the Law [seeking justification and salvation by obedience to the Law and the observance of rituals] are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed (condemned to destruction) is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, so as to practice them.”^{(C) 11} Now it is clear that no one is justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing] before God by the Law, for “The righteous (the just, the upright) shall live by faith.”^{(D) 12} But the Law does not rest on or require faith [it has nothing to do with faith], but [instead, the Law] says, “He who practices them [the things prescribed by the Law] shall live by them [instead of faith].”^{(E) 13} Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs [crucified] on a tree (cross)”—^{(F) 14} in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might also come to the Gentiles, so that we would all receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit through faith.

³⁰ “I can do nothing on my own initiative or authority. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just (fair, righteous, unbiased), because I do not seek My own will, but only the will of Him who sent Me.

³¹ “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not ^[a]valid. ³² There is another [My Father] who testifies about Me, and I know [without any doubt] that His testimony on My behalf is true and valid.

Testimony of John

³³ You have sent [an inquiry] to ^[b]John [the Baptist] and he has testified [as an eyewitness] to the truth. ³⁴ But the testimony I receive is not from man [a merely human witness]; but I say these things so that you may be saved [that is, have eternal life]. ³⁵ John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining [to show you the way], and you were willing for a while to rejoice in his light.^(A)

Testimony of Works

³⁶ But the testimony which I have is far greater than the testimony of John; for the works that the Father has given Me to finish—the very same works [that is, the miracles and proofs of My deity] that I am [now] doing—testify about Me, [by providing evidence] that the Father has sent Me.

Testimony of the Father

³⁷ And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form [His majesty and greatness—what He is like]. ³⁸ You do not have His word (Scripture) abiding in you [actually living in your hearts and minds], because you do not believe in Him whom He has sent.

Testimony of the Scripture

^39 [c]You search and keep on searching and examining the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and yet it is those [very Scriptures] that testify about Me; ⁴⁰ and still you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. ⁴¹ I do not receive glory and approval from men; ⁴² but I know you and recognize that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. ⁴³ I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me [because your minds are closed]; but if another comes in his own name and with no authority or power except his own, you will receive him and give your approval to an imposter. ⁴⁴ How can you believe [in Me], when you [seek and] receive glory and approval from one another, and yet you do not seek the glory and approval which comes from the one and only God? ⁴⁵ Do not think that I [am the One who] will accuse you before the Father. There [already] is one who accuses you: Moses, [the very one] in whom you have placed your hope [for salvation]. ⁴⁶ For if you believed and relied on [the Scriptures written by] Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me [personally].^{(B) 47} But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”