1 Moreover Ahithophel302 said559 unto413 Absalom,53 Let me now4994 choose out977 twelve8147 6240 thousand505 men,376 and I will arise6965 and pursue7291 after310 David1732 this night: 3915

2 And I will come935 upon5921 him while he1931 is weary3023 and weak7504 handed,3027 and will make him afraid:2729 853 and all3605 the people5971 that834 are with854 him shall flee;5127 and I will smite5221 853 the king4428 only: 905

3 And I will bring back7725 all3605 the people5971 unto413 thee: the man376 whom834 thou859 seekest1245 is as if all3605 returned:7725 so all3605 the people5971 shall be1961 in peace.7965

4 And the saying1697 pleased3474 Absalom53 well,5869 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 he1931 saith.6310

6 And when Hushai2365 was come935 to413 Absalom,53 Absalom53 spoke559 unto413 him, saying,559 Ahithophel302 hath spoken1696 after this2088 manner:1697 shall we do6213 after853 his saying?1697 if518 not;369 speak1696 thou.859

7 And Hushai2365 said559 unto413 Absalom,53 The counsel6098 that834 Ahithophel302 hath given3289 is not3808 good2896 at this2063 time.6471

8 For, said559 Hushai,2365 thou859 knowest3045 853 thy father1 and his men,376 that3588 they1992 be mighty men,1368 and they1992 be chafed4751 in their minds,5315 as a bear1677 robbed of her whelps7909 in the field:7704 and thy father1 is a man376 of war,4421 and will not3808 lodge3885 with854 the people.5971

9 Behold,2009 he1931 is hid2244 now6258 in some259 pit,6354 or176 in some259 other place:4725 and it will come to pass,1961 when some of them be overthrown5307 at the first,8462 that whosoever heareth8085 8085 it will say,559 There is1961 a slaughter4046 among the people5971 that834 follow310 Absalom.53

10 And he1931 also1571 that is valiant,1121 2428 whose834 heart3820 is as the heart3820 of a lion,738 shall utterly melt:4549 4549 for3588 all3605 Israel3478 knoweth3045 that3588 thy father1 is a mighty man,1368 and they which834 be with854 him are valiant2428 men.1121

11 Therefore3588 I counsel3289 that all3605 Israel3478 be generally622 gathered622 unto5921 thee, from Dan4480 1835 even to5704 Beer-sheba,884 as the sand2344 that834 is by5921 the sea3220 for multitude;7230 and that thou go1980 to battle7128 in thine own person.6440

12 So shall we come935 upon413 him in some259 place4725 where834 8033 he shall be found,4672 and we will light5117 upon5921 him as834 the dew2919 falleth5307 on5921 the ground:127 and of him and of all3605 the men376 that834 are with854 him there shall not3808 be left3498 so much1571 as one.259

13 Moreover, if518 he be gotten622 into413 a city,5892 then shall all3605 Israel3478 bring5375 ropes2256 to413 that1931 city,5892 and we will draw5498 it into5704 the river,5158 until5704 834 there be not3808 one small1571 stone6872 found4672 there.8033

14 And Absalom53 and all3605 the men376 of Israel3478 said,559 The counsel6098 of Hushai2365 the Archite757 is better2896 than the counsel4480 6098 of Ahithophel.302 For the LORD3068 had appointed6680 to defeat6565 853 the good2896 counsel6098 of Ahithophel,302 to the intent5668 that the LORD3068 might bring935 evil7451 upon413 Absalom.53

15 Then said559 Hushai2365 unto413 Zadok6659 and to413 Abiathar54 the priests,3548 Thus2063 and thus2063 did Ahithophel302 counsel3289 853 Absalom53 and the elders2205 of Israel;3478 and thus2063 and thus2063 have I589 counseled.3289

16 Now6258 therefore send7971 quickly,4120 and tell5046 David,1732 saying,559 Lodge3885 not408 this night3915 in the plains6160 of the wilderness,4057 but1571 speedily5674 pass over;5674 lest6435 the king4428 be swallowed up,1104 and all3605 the people5971 that834 are with854 him.

17 Now Jonathan3083 and Ahimaaz290 stayed5975 by En-rogel;5883 for3588 they might3201 not3808 be seen7200 to come935 into the city:5892 and a wench8198 went1980 and told5046 them; and they1992 went1980 and told5046 king4428 David.1732

18 Nevertheless a lad5288 saw7200 them, and told5046 Absalom:53 but they went1980 both8147 of them away quickly,4120 and came935 to413 a man's376 house1004 in Bahurim,980 which had a well875 in his court;2691 whither8033 they went down.3381

19 And the woman802 took3947 and spread6566 853 a covering4539 over5921 the well's875 mouth,6440 and spread7849 ground corn7383 thereon;5921 and the thing1697 was not3808 known.3045

20 And when Absalom's53 servants5650 came935 to413 the woman802 to the house,1004 they said,559 Where346 is Ahimaaz290 and Jonathan?3083 And the woman802 said559 unto them, They be gone over5674 the brook4323 of water.4325 And when they had sought1245 and could not3808 find4672 them, they returned7725 to Jerusalem.3389

21 And it came to pass,1961 after310 they were departed,1980 that they came up5927 out of the well,4480 875 and went1980 and told5046 king4428 David,1732 and said559 unto413 David,1732 Arise,6965 and pass quickly over5674 4120 853 the water:4325 for3588 thus3602 hath Ahithophel302 counseled3289 against5921 you.

22 Then David1732 arose,6965 and all3605 the people5971 that834 were with854 him, and they passed over5674 853 Jordan:3383 by5704 the morning1242 light216 there lacked5737 not3808 one259 of them that834 was not3808 gone over5674 853 Jordan.3383

23 And when Ahithophel302 saw7200 that3588 his counsel6098 was not3808 followed,6213 he saddled2280 his853 ass,2543 and arose,6965 and got1980 him home to413 his house,1004 to413 his city,5892 and put6680 413 his household1004 in order, and hanged himself,2614 and died,4191 and was buried6912 in the sepulcher6913 of his father.1

24 Then David1732 came935 to Mahanaim.4266 And Absalom53 passed over5674 853 Jordan,3383 he1931 and all3605 the men376 of Israel3478 with5973 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 that834 went935 in to413 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 came to pass,1961 when David1732 was come935 to Mahanaim,4266 that Shobi7629 the son1121 of Nahash5176 of Rabbah4480 7237 of the children1121 of Ammon,5983 and Machir4353 the son1121 of Ammiel5988 of Lo-debar,4480 3810 and Barzillai1271 the Gileadite1569 of Rogelim,4480 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 pulse,

29 And honey,1706 and butter,2529 and sheep,6629 and cheese8194 of kine,1241 for David,1732 and for the people5971 that834 were with854 him, to eat:398 for3588 they said,559 The people5971 is hungry,7457 and weary,5889 and thirsty,6771 in the wilderness.4057