2 Samuel 17 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Hushai’s Counsel

1 Furthermore, Ahithophel ^H302 said ^H559 to Absalom ^H53, “Please ^H4994 let me choose ^H977 twelve ^H8147 H6240 thousand ^H505 men ^H376 and let me set ^H6965 out ^H6965 and pursue ^H7291 H310 David ^H1732 tonight ^H3915.

2 And I will [fn]attack ^H935 him while he is weary ^H3023 and [fn]exhausted ^H7504 H3027 and startle ^H2729 him, so that all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 are with him will flee ^H5127. Then I will strike ^H5221 and ^H5221 kill ^H5221 the king ^H4428 when he is alone ^H905, 3 and I will bring ^H7725 all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 back ^H7725 to you. [fn]The return ^H7725 of everyone ^H3605 depends on the man ^H376 whom ^H834 you are seeking ^H1245; then all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 will be at peace ^H7965.” 4 And the [fn]plan ^H1697 pleased ^H5869 H3474 Absalom ^H53 and all ^H3605 the elders ^H2205 of Israel ^H3478.

5 Nevertheless, Absalom ^H53 said ^H559, “Now ^H4994 call ^H7121 Hushai ^H2365 the Archite ^H757 also ^H1571, and let’s hear ^H8085 what ^H4100 [fn]he has to say ^H6310.” 6 When ^H834 Hushai ^H2365 had come ^H935 to Absalom ^H53, Absalom ^H53 said ^H559 to [fn]him, “Ahithophel ^H302 has [fn]proposed ^H1696 this ^H2088 plan ^H1697. Should we [fn]carry ^H6213 out ^H6213 his plan ^H1697? If ^H518 not, say ^H1696 so yourself ^H859.” 7 So Hushai ^H2365 said ^H559 to Absalom ^H53, “This ^H2088 time ^H6471 the advice ^H6098 that Ahithophel ^H302 has [fn]given ^H3289 is not good ^H2896.” 8 Then Hushai ^H2365 said ^H559, “You yourself ^H859 know ^H3045 your father ^H1 and his men ^H376, that they are warriors ^H1368 and they are [fn]fierce ^H4751 H5315, like a bear ^H1677 deprived ^H7909 of ^H7909 her cubs ^H7909 in the field ^H7704. And your father ^H1 is an [fn]expert ^H376 in warfare ^H4421, and he will not spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 with the people ^H5971. 9 Behold ^H2009, he has now ^H6258 hidden ^H2244 himself ^H1931 in one ^H259 of the ravines ^H6354, or ^H176 in another ^H259 place ^H4725; and it will be that when he falls ^H5307 on them at the first ^H8462 attack, whoever hears ^H8085 it will say ^H559, ‘There has been ^H1961 a slaughter ^H4046 among the people ^H5971 who ^H834 follow ^H310 Absalom ^H53!’ 10 And even ^H1571 the one ^H1121 who is valiant ^H1121 H2428, whose ^H834 heart ^H3820 is like the heart ^H3820 of a lion ^H738, will completely ^H4549 despair ^H4549; for all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 knows ^H3045 that your father ^H1 is a mighty ^H1368 man ^H1121, and those who ^H834 are with him are valiant ^H2428 men ^H1121. 11 But I advise ^H3289 that all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 be fully ^H622 gathered ^H622 to you, from Dan ^H1835 even to Beersheba ^H884, like the sand ^H2344 that is by the sea ^H3220 in abundance ^H7230; and that [fn]you personally ^H6440 go ^H1980 into battle ^H7128. 12 Then we will come ^H935 to him in one ^H259 of the places ^H4725 where ^H834 H8033 he can be found ^H4672, and we will [fn]fall ^H5117 on him just ^H834 as ^H834 the dew ^H2919 falls ^H5307 on the ground ^H127; and of him and of all ^H3605 the men ^H376 who ^H834 are with him, not even ^H1571 one ^H259 will be left ^H3498. 13 And if ^H518 he withdraws ^H622 into a city ^H5892, then all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 shall bring ^H5375 ropes ^H2256 to that city ^H5892, and we will drag ^H5498 it into the [fn]valley ^H5158 until ^H5704 H834 not even ^H1571 a pebble ^H6872 is found ^H4672 there ^H8033.” 14 Then Absalom ^H53 and all ^H3605 the men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559, “The advice ^H6098 of Hushai ^H2365 the Archite ^H757 is better ^H2896 than ^H4480 the advice ^H6098 of Ahithophel ^H302.” For the LORD ^H3068 had ordained ^H6680 to foil ^H6565 the good ^H2896 advice ^H6098 of Ahithophel ^H302, in order ^H5668 for the LORD ^H3068 to bring ^H935 disaster ^H7451 on Absalom ^H53.

Hushai’s Warning Saves David

15 Then Hushai ^H2365 said ^H559 to Zadok ^H6659 and to Abiathar ^H54 the priests ^H3548, “[fn]This ^H2088 is what ^H2088 Ahithophel ^H302 advised ^H3289 Absalom ^H53 and the elders ^H2205 of Israel ^H3478 to do, and [fn]this ^H2088 is what ^H2088 I have advised ^H3289.

16 Now ^H6258 then, send ^H7971 a messenger quickly ^H4120 and tell ^H5046 David ^H1732, saying ^H559, ‘Do not spend ^H3885 the night ^H3915 at the river ^H6160 crossing ^H6160 places ^H6160 of the wilderness ^H4057, but by all ^H1571 H5674 means ^H5674 cross ^H5674 over ^H5674, or ^H6435 else ^H6435 the king ^H4428 and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 are with him will be [fn]destroyed ^H1104.’” 17 Now Jonathan ^H3083 and Ahimaaz ^H290 were staying ^H5975 at En-rogel ^H5883, and a female ^H8198 servant ^H8198 would go ^H1980 and inform ^H5046 them, and they would go ^H1980 and inform ^H5046 King ^H4428 David ^H1732, for they could ^H3201 not allow themselves to be seen ^H7200 entering ^H935 the city ^H5892. 18 But a boy ^H5288 did see ^H7200 them, and he told ^H5046 Absalom ^H53; so the two ^H8147 of them left ^H1980 quickly ^H4120 and came ^H935 to the house ^H1004 of a man ^H376 in Bahurim ^H980, who had a well ^H875 in his courtyard ^H2691, and they went ^H3381 down ^H3381 [fn]into it. 19 And the woman ^H802 [fn]took ^H3947 a cover ^H4539 and spread ^H6566 it over ^H5921 the well’s ^H875 mouth ^H6440 and scattered ^H7849 barley ^H7383 meal ^H7383 on it, so that nothing ^H3808 H1697 was known ^H3045. 20 Then Absalom’s ^H53 servants ^H5650 came ^H935 to the woman ^H802 at the house ^H1004 and said ^H559, “Where ^H346 are Ahimaaz ^H290 and Jonathan ^H3083?” And the woman ^H802 said ^H559 to them, “They have crossed ^H5674 the brook ^H4323 of water ^H4325.” And when ^H834 they searched ^H1245 and did not find ^H4672 them, they returned ^H7725 to Jerusalem ^H3389.

21 It came ^H1961 about ^H1961 after ^H310 they had departed ^H1980, that they came ^H5927 up ^H5927 out of the well ^H875 and went ^H1980 and reported ^H5046 to King ^H4428 David ^H1732; and they said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Set ^H6965 out ^H6965 and cross ^H5674 over ^H5674 the water ^H4325 quickly ^H4120, because ^H3588 this ^H3602 is ^H3602 what ^H3602 Ahithophel ^H302 has advised ^H3289 against ^H5921 you.” 22 Then David ^H1732 and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with him set ^H6965 out ^H6965 and crossed ^H5674 the Jordan ^H3383; by [fn]dawn ^H216 H1242 not even ^H5704 one ^H259 remained ^H5737 who ^H834 had not crossed ^H5674 the Jordan ^H3383.

23 Now when ^H834 Ahithophel ^H302 saw ^H7200 that his advice ^H6098 had not been [fn]followed ^H6213, he saddled ^H2280 his donkey ^H2543 and set ^H6965 out ^H6965 and went ^H1980 to his home ^H1004, to his city ^H5892, and [fn]set ^H6680 his house ^H1004 in ^H6680 order ^H6680, and hanged ^H2614 himself; so he died ^H4191 and was buried ^H6912 in his father’s ^H1 grave ^H6913.

24 Then David ^H1732 came ^H935 to Mahanaim ^H4266. And Absalom ^H53 crossed ^H5674 the Jordan ^H3383, he and all ^H3605 the men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478 with him. 25 Absalom ^H53 put ^H7760 Amasa ^H6021 [fn]in ^H5921 command ^H5921 of ^H5921 the army ^H6635 in ^H8478 place ^H8478 of ^H8478 Joab ^H3097. Now Amasa ^H6021 was the son ^H1121 of a man ^H376 whose name ^H8034 was [fn]Ithra ^H3501 the Israelite ^H3481, who ^H834 [fn]had ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 Abigail ^H26 the daughter ^H1323 of Nahash ^H5176, sister ^H269 of Zeruiah ^H6870, Joab’s ^H3097 mother ^H517. 26 And Israel ^H3478 and Absalom ^H53 camped ^H2583 in the land ^H776 of Gilead ^H1568.

27 Now when David ^H1732 had come ^H935 to Mahanaim ^H4266, Shobi ^H7629 the son ^H1121 of Nahash ^H5176 from Rabbah ^H7237 of the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, Machir ^H4353 the son ^H1121 of Ammiel ^H5988 from Lo-debar ^H3810, and Barzillai ^H1271 the Gileadite ^H1569 from Rogelim ^H7274, 28 brought ^H5066 beds ^H4904, basins ^H5592, pottery ^H3627, wheat ^H2406, barley ^H8184, flour ^H7058, roasted ^H7039 grain, beans ^H6321, lentils ^H5742, roasted ^H7039 seeds, 29 honey ^H1706, curds ^H2529, sheep ^H6629, and cheese ^H8194 of the herd ^H1241, for David ^H1732 and the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with him, to eat ^H398. For they said ^H559, “The people ^H5971 are hungry ^H7457 and exhausted ^H5889 and thirsty ^H6771 in the wilderness ^H4057.”