1 Moreover Ahithophel302 said559 to Absalom,53 Let me now4994 choose977 out twelve8147 6240 thousand505 men,376 and I will arise6965 and pursue7291 after310 David1732 this2088 night:3915

2 And I will come935 on him while he is weary3023 and weak7504 handed,3027 and will make him afraid:2729 and all3605 the people5971 that are with him shall flee;5127 and I will smite5221 the king4428 only:905

3 And I will bring7725 back7725 all3605 the people5971 to you: the man376 whom834 you seek1245 is as if all3605 returned:7725 so all3605 the people5971 shall be in peace.7965

4 And the saying1697 pleased3477 5869 Absalom53 well, and all3605 the elders2205 of Israel.3478

5 Then said559 Absalom,53 Call7121 now4994 Hushai2365 the Archite757 also,1571 and let us hear8085 likewise1571 what4100 he said.6310

6 And when Hushai2365 was come935 to Absalom,53 Absalom53 spoke559 to him, saying,559 Ahithophel302 has spoken1696 after this2088 manner:1697 shall we do6213 after his saying?1697 if518 not; speak1696 you.

7 And Hushai2365 said559 to Absalom,53 The counsel6098 that Ahithophel302 has given3289 is not good2896 at this2063 time.6471

8 For, said559 Hushai,2365 you know3045 your father1 and his men,582 that they be mighty1368 men, and they be chafed4751 in their minds,5315 as a bear1677 robbed7909 of her whelps in the field:7704 and your father1 is a man376 of war,4421 and will not lodge3885 with the people.5971

9 Behold,2009 he is hid2244 now6258 in some259 pit,6354 or176 in some259 other place:4725 and it will come1961 to pass, when some259 of them be overthrown5307 at the first,8462 that whoever hears8085 it will say,559 There is a slaughter4046 among the people5971 that follow310 Absalom.53

10 And he also1571 that is valiant,1121 2428 whose834 heart3820 is as the heart3820 of a lion,738 shall utterly melt:4549 for all3605 Israel3478 knows3045 that your father1 is a mighty1368 man, and they which834 be with him are valiant2428 men.1121

11 Therefore I counsel3289 that all3605 Israel3478 be generally3831 gathered622 to you, from Dan1835 even to Beersheba,884 as the sand2344 that is by the sea3220 for multitude;7230 and that you go1980 to battle7128 in your own person.6440

12 So shall we come935 on him in some259 place4725 where834 8033 he shall be found,4672 and we will light on him as the dew2919 falls5307 on5921 the ground:127 and of him and of all3605 the men582 that are with him there shall not be left3498 so1571 much1571 as one.259

13 Moreover,518 if518 he be gotten622 into413 a city,5892 then shall all3605 Israel3478 bring5375 ropes2256 to that city,5892 and we will draw5498 it into5704 the river,5158 until5704 834 there be not one1571 small6872 stone6872 found there.8033

14 And Absalom53 and all3605 the men376 of Israel3478 said,559 The counsel6098 of Hushai2365 the Archite757 is better2896 than the counsel6098 of Ahithophel.302 For the LORD3068 had appointed6680 to defeat6565 the good2896 counsel6098 of Ahithophel,302 to the intent5668 that the LORD3068 might bring935 evil7451 on Absalom.53

15 Then said559 Hushai2365 to Zadok6659 and to Abiathar54 the priests,3548 Thus2063 and thus2063 did Ahithophel302 counsel3289 Absalom53 and the elders2205 of Israel;3478 and thus2063 and thus2063 have I counceled.3289

16 Now6258 therefore send7971 quickly,4120 and tell5046 David,1732 saying,559 Lodge3885 not this night3915 in the plains6160 of the wilderness,4057 but speedily5674 pass5674 over;5674 lest6435 the king4428 be swallowed1104 up, and all3605 the people5971 that are with him.

17 Now Jonathan3083 and Ahimaaz290 stayed5975 by Enrogel;5883 for they might3201 not be seen7200 to come935 into the city:5892 and a wench8198 went1980 and told5046 them; and they went3212 and told5046 king4428 David.1732

18 Nevertheless a lad5288 saw7200 them, and told5046 Absalom:53 but they went3212 both8147 of them away quickly,4120 and came935 to a man's376 house1004 in Bahurim,980 which had a well875 in his court;2691 where8033 they went3381 down.3381

19 And the woman802 took3947 and spread6566 a covering4539 over5921 the well's875 mouth,6310 and spread7849 ground7383 corn7383 thereon;5921 and the thing1697 was not known.3045

20 And when Absalom's53 servants5650 came935 to the woman802 to the house,1004 they said,559 Where346 is Ahimaaz290 and Jonathan?3083 And the woman802 said559 to them, They be gone5674 over5674 the brook4323 of water.4325 And when they had sought1245 and could not find4672 them, they returned7725 to Jerusalem.3389

21 And it came1961 to pass, after310 they were departed,3212 that they came5927 up out of the well,875 and went3212 and told5046 king4428 David,1732 and said559 to David,1732 Arise,6965 and pass5674 quickly4120 over5674 the water:4325 for thus3602 has Ahithophel302 counceled3289 against5921 you.

22 Then David1732 arose,6965 and all3605 the people5971 that were with him, and they passed5674 over5674 Jordan:3383 by the morning1242 light216 there lacked5737 not one259 of them that was not gone5674 over5674 Jordan.3383

23 And when Ahithophel302 saw7200 that his counsel6098 was not followed,6213 he saddled2280 his ass,2543 and arose,6965 and got3212 him home1004 to his house,1004 to his city,5892 and put his household1004 in order,6680 and hanged2614 himself, and died,4191 and was buried6912 in the sepulcher6913 of his father.1

24 Then David1732 came935 to Mahanaim.4266 And Absalom53 passed5674 over5674 Jordan,3383 he and all3605 the men376 of Israel3478 with him.

25 And Absalom53 made7760 Amasa6021 captain5921 of the host6635 instead8478 of Joab:3097 which Amasa6021 was a man's376 son,1121 whose name8034 was Ithra3501 an Israelite,3481 that went935 in to Abigail26 the daughter1323 of Nahash,5176 sister269 to Zeruiah6870 Joab's3097 mother.517

26 So Israel3478 and Absalom53 pitched2583 in the land776 of Gilead.1568

27 And it came1961 to pass, when David1732 was come935 to Mahanaim,4266 that Shobi7629 the son1121 of Nahash5176 of Rabbah7237 of the children1121 of Ammon,5983 and Machir4353 the son1121 of Ammiel5988 of Lodebar,3810 and Barzillai1271 the Gileadite1569 of Rogelim,7274

28 Brought5066 beds,4904 and basins,5592 and earthen3335 vessels,3627 and wheat,2406 and barley,8184 and flour,7058 and parched7039 corn, and beans,6321 and lentils,5742 and parched7039 vegetables,

29 And honey,1706 and butter,2529 and sheep,6629 and cheese8194 of cows,1241 for David,1732 and for the people5971 that were with him, to eat:398 for they said,559 The people5971 is hungry,7456 and weary,5889 and thirsty,6771 in the wilderness.4057