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2 Samuel 17

1 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, Now let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight.2 I will come upon him while he is weary and weak, and make him afraid. And all the people who are with him will flee, and I will strike only the king.3 Then I will bring back all the people to you. When all return except the man whom you seek, all the people will be at peace.4 And the saying pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

The Advice of Hushai

5 Then Absalom said, Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he says too.6 And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel has spoken in this manner. Shall we do as he says? If not, speak up.7 So Hushai said to Absalom: The advice that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time.8 For, said Hushai, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are enraged in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field; and your father is a man of war, and will not camp with the people.9 Surely by now he is hidden in some pit, or in some other place. And it will be, when some of them are overthrown at the first, that whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.10 And even he who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt completely. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.11 Therefore I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, like the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person.12 So we will come upon him in some place where he may be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground. And of him and all the men who are with him there shall not be left so much as one.13 Moreover, if he has withdrawn into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city; and we will pull it into the river, until there is not one small stone found there.14 So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel. For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.

Hushai Warns David to Escape

15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, Thus and so Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so I have advised.16 Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, Do not spend this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at En Rogel, for they dared not be seen coming into the city; so a female servant would come and tell them, and they would go and tell King David.18 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom. But both of them went away quickly and came to a mans house in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down into it.19 Then the woman took and spread a covering over the wells mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known.20 And when Absaloms servants came to the woman at the house, they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? So the woman said to them, They have gone over the water brook.21 Now it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said to David, Arise and cross over the water quickly. For thus has Ahithophel advised against you.22 So David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed over the Jordan. By morning light not one of them was left who had not gone over the Jordan.23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his fathers tomb.24 Then David went to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. This Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jithra, an Israelite, who had gone in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joabs mother.26 So Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.27 Now it happened, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,28 brought beds and basins, earthen vessels and wheat, barley and flour, parched grain and beans, lentils and parched seeds, 29 honey and curds, sheep and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him to eat. For they said, The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.

2 SAMUEL 17

1 Ahithophel said to Absalom:
Let me choose 12,000 men and attack David tonight, 2 while he is tired and discouraged. He will panic, and everyone with him will run away. I won't kill anyone except David,

3 since he's the one you want to get rid of. Then I'll bring the whole nation back to you like a bride coming home to her husband.t This way there won't be a civil war.

Hushai Fools Absalom


4 Absalom and all the leaders of the tribes of Israel agreed that Ahithophel had a good plan.

5 Then Absalom said, “Bring in Hushai the Archite. Let's hear what he has to say.”

6 Hushai came in, and Absalom told him what Ahithophel had planned. Then Absalom said, “Should we do what he says? And if we shouldn't, can you come up with anything better?”

7 Hushai said:
This time Ahithophel's advice isn't so good. 8 You know that your father and his followers are real warriors. Now they are as fierce as a mother bear whose cubs have just been killed. Besides, your father has a lot of experience in fighting wars, and he won't be spending the night with the others.

9 He has probably already found a hiding place in a cave or somewhere else.
As soon as anyone hears that some of your soldiers have been killed, everyone will think your whole army has been destroyed.

10 Then even those who are as brave as a lion will lose their courage. All Israel knows what a great warrior your father is and what brave soldiers he has.
11 My advice is to gather all the fighting men of Israel from the town of Dan in the north down to the town of Beersheba in the south. You will have more soldiers than there are grains of sand on the seashore. Absalom, you should lead them yourself, 12 and we will all go to fight David wherever he is. We will fall on him just as dew falls and covers the ground. He and all his soldiers will die!

13 If they go into a walled town, we will put ropes around that town and drag it into the river. We won't leave even one small piece of a stone.

14 Absalom and the others liked Hushai's plan better than Ahithophel's plan. This was because the [Lord] had decided to keep Ahithophel's plan from working and to cause trouble for Absalom.

Jonathan and Ahimaaz //Tell David the News


15 At once, Hushai went to Zadok and Abiathar. He told them what advice Ahithophel had given to Absalom and to the leaders of Israel. He also told them about the advice he had given.

16 Then he said, “Hurry! Send someone to warn David not to spend the night on this side of the Jordan. He must get across the river, so he and the others won't be wiped out!”
17 Jonathan and Ahimaazt had been waiting at Rogel Springt because they did not want to be seen in Jerusalem. A servant girl went to the spring and gave them the message for David. 18 But a young man saw them and went to tell Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz left and hurried to the house of a man who lived in Bahurim. Then they climbed down into a well in the courtyard.

19 The man's wife put the cover on the well and poured grain on top of it, so the well could not be seen.t

20 Absalom's soldiers came to the woman and demanded, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
The woman answered, “They went across that stream.”
The soldiers went off to look for the two men. But when they did not find the men, they went back to Jerusalem.

21 After the soldiers had gone, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. They went to David and said, “Hurry! Get ready to cross the river!” Then they told him about Ahithophel's plan.

22 David and the others got ready and started crossing the Jordan River. By sunrise all of them were on the other side.

Ahithophel Kills Himself


23 When Ahithophel saw that Absalom and the leaders of Israel were not going to follow his advice, he saddled his donkey and rode back to his home in Gilo. He told his family and servants what to do. Then he hanged himself, and they buried him in his family's burial place.

Absalom Puts Amasa //in Charge //of the Army


24 David went to the town of Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan River with the army of Israel. 25 Absalom put Amasa in Joab's place as commander of the army. Amasa's father was Ithrat from the family of Ishmael, t and his mother was Abigal, t the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab's mother Zeruiah.

26 The Israelites under Absalom's command set up camp in the region of Gilead.

Friends Bring Supplies //to David


27 After David came to the town of Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash came from Rabbah in Ammon, t Machir the son of Ammiel came from Lo-Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite came from Rogelim.

28-29 Here is a list of what they brought: sleeping mats, blankets, bowls, pottery jars, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, honey, yogurt, sheep, and cheese.
They brought the food for David and the others because they knew that everyone would be hungry, tired, and thirsty from being out in the desert.