Moreover Ahithophel³⁰² said⁵⁵⁹ unto Absalom,⁵³ Let me now choose⁹⁷⁷ out twelve⁸¹⁴⁷ thousand⁵⁰⁵ men,³⁷⁶ and I will arise⁶⁹⁶⁵ and pursue⁷²⁹¹ after³¹⁰ David¹⁷³² this night:³⁹¹⁵

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

And I will bring back⁷⁷²⁵ all the people⁵⁹⁷¹ unto thee: the man³⁷⁶ whom thou seekest¹²⁴⁵ is as if all returned:⁷⁷²⁵ so all the people⁵⁹⁷¹ shall be in peace.⁷⁹⁶⁵

And the saying¹⁶⁹⁷ pleased³⁴⁷⁴ Absalom⁵³ well, and⁵⁸⁶⁹ all the elders²²⁰⁵ of Israel.³⁴⁷⁸

Then said⁵⁵⁹ Absalom,⁵³ Call⁷¹²¹ now Hushai²³⁶⁵ the Archite⁷⁵⁷ also, and let us hear⁸⁰⁸⁵ likewise what he saith.⁶³¹⁰

And when Hushai²³⁶⁵ was come⁹³⁵ to Absalom,⁵³ Absalom⁵³ spake⁵⁵⁹ unto him, saying,⁵⁵⁹ Ahithophel³⁰² hath spoken¹⁶⁹⁶ after this manner:¹⁶⁹⁷ shall we do⁶²¹³ after his saying?¹⁶⁹⁷ if not; speak¹⁶⁹⁶ thou.

And Hushai²³⁶⁵ said⁵⁵⁹ unto Absalom,⁵³ The counsel⁶⁰⁹⁸ that Ahithophel³⁰² hath given³²⁸⁹ is not good²⁸⁹⁶ at this time.⁶⁴⁷¹

For, said⁵⁵⁹ Hushai,²³⁶⁵ thou knowest³⁰⁴⁵ thy father¹ and his men,⁵⁸² that they be mighty men,¹³⁶⁸ and they be chafed⁴⁷⁵¹ in their minds,⁵³¹⁵ as a bear¹⁶⁷⁷ robbed⁷⁹⁰⁹ of her whelps in the field:⁷⁷⁰⁴ and thy father¹ is a man³⁷⁶ of war,⁴⁴²¹ and will not lodge³⁸⁸⁵ with the people.⁵⁹⁷¹

Behold, he is hid²²⁴⁴ now in some²⁵⁹ pit,⁶³⁵⁴ or in some²⁵⁹ other place:⁴⁷²⁵ and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown⁵³⁰⁷ at the first,⁸⁴⁶² that whosoever⁸⁰⁸⁵ heareth⁸⁰⁸⁵ it will say,⁵⁵⁹ There is a slaughter⁴⁰⁴⁶ among the people⁵⁹⁷¹ that follow³¹⁰ Absalom.⁵³

And he also that is valiant,¹¹²¹ whose heart³⁸²⁰ is as the heart³⁸²⁰ of a lion,⁷³⁸ shall utterly⁴⁵⁴⁹ melt:⁴⁵⁴⁹ for all Israel³⁴⁷⁸ knoweth³⁰⁴⁵ that thy father¹ is a mighty man,¹³⁶⁸ and they which be with him are valiant²⁴²⁸ men.¹¹²¹

Therefore I counsel³²⁸⁹ that all Israel³⁴⁷⁸ be generally⁶²² gathered⁶²² unto thee, from Dan¹⁸³⁵ even to Beersheba,⁸⁸⁴ as the sand²³⁴⁴ that is by the sea³²²⁰ for multitude;⁷²³⁰ and that thou go¹⁹⁸⁰ to battle⁷¹²⁸ in thine own person.⁶⁴⁴⁰

So shall we come⁹³⁵ upon him in some²⁵⁹ place⁴⁷²⁵ where he shall be found,⁴⁶⁷² and we⁵¹⁶⁸ will light upon him as the dew²⁹¹⁹ falleth⁵³⁰⁷ on the ground:¹²⁷ and of him and of all the men⁵⁸² that are with him there shall not be left³⁴⁹⁸ so much as¹⁵⁷¹ one.²⁵⁹

Moreover, if⁵¹⁸ he be gotten⁶²² into a city,⁵⁸⁹² then shall all Israel³⁴⁷⁸ bring⁵³⁷⁵ ropes²²⁵⁶ to that city,⁵⁸⁹² and we will draw⁵⁴⁹⁸ it into the river,⁵¹⁵⁸ until there be not one¹⁵⁷¹ small stone⁶⁸⁷² found⁴⁶⁷² there.

And Absalom⁵³ and all the men³⁷⁶ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ said,⁵⁵⁹ The counsel⁶⁰⁹⁸ of Hushai²³⁶⁵ the Archite⁷⁵⁷ is better²⁸⁹⁶ than the counsel⁶⁰⁹⁸ of Ahithophel.³⁰² For Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ had appointed⁶⁶⁸⁰ to defeat⁶⁵⁶⁵ the good²⁸⁹⁶ counsel⁶⁰⁹⁸ of Ahithophel,³⁰² to the intent that⁵⁶⁶⁸ Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ might bring⁹³⁵ evil⁷⁴⁵¹ upon Absalom.⁵³

Then said⁵⁵⁹ Hushai²³⁶⁵ unto Zadok⁶⁶⁵⁹ and to Abiathar⁵⁴ the priests,³⁵⁴⁸ Thus and thus did Ahithophel³⁰² counsel³²⁸⁹ Absalom⁵³ and the elders²²⁰⁵ of Israel;³⁴⁷⁸ and thus and thus have I counselled.³²⁸⁹

Now therefore send⁷⁹⁷¹ quickly,⁴¹²⁰ and tell⁵⁰⁴⁶ David,¹⁷³² saying,⁵⁵⁹ Lodge³⁸⁸⁵ not this night³⁹¹⁵ in the plains⁶¹⁶⁰ of the wilderness,⁴⁰⁵⁷ but speedily⁵⁶⁷⁴ pass over;⁵⁶⁷⁴ lest the king⁴⁴²⁸ be swallowed up,¹¹⁰⁴ and all the people⁵⁹⁷¹ that are with him.

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

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 whither⁸⁰³³ they went down.³³⁸¹

And the woman⁸⁰² took³⁹⁴⁷ and spread⁶⁵⁶⁶ a covering⁴⁵³⁹ over the well's⁸⁷⁵ mouth,⁶⁴⁴⁰ and spread⁷⁸⁴⁹ ground corn⁷³⁸³ thereon; and the thing¹⁶⁹⁷ was not known.³⁰⁴⁵

And when Absalom's⁵³ servants⁵⁶⁵⁰ came⁹³⁵ to the woman⁸⁰² to the house,¹⁰⁰⁴ they said,⁵⁵⁹ Where 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 not find⁴⁶⁷² them, they returned⁷⁷²⁵ to Jerusalem.³³⁸⁹

And it came to pass, after³¹⁰ they were departed,³²¹² that they came up⁵⁹²⁷ out of the well,⁸⁷⁵ and went³²¹² and told⁵⁰⁴⁶ king⁴⁴²⁸ David,¹⁷³² and said⁵⁵⁹ unto David,¹⁷³² Arise,⁶⁹⁶⁵ and pass quickly⁴¹²⁰ over⁵⁶⁷⁴ the water:⁴³²⁵ for thus hath Ahithophel³⁰² counselled³²⁸⁹ against you.

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

And when Ahithophel³⁰² saw⁷²⁰⁰ that his counsel⁶⁰⁹⁸ was not followed,⁶²¹³ he saddled²²⁸⁰ his donkey,²⁵⁴³ and arose,⁶⁹⁶⁵ and gat³²¹² him home 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 sepulchre⁶⁹¹³ of his father.¹

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

And Absalom⁵³ made⁷⁷⁶⁰ Amasa⁶⁰²¹ captain of the host⁶⁶³⁵ instead of Joab:³⁰⁹⁷ which Amasa⁶⁰²¹ was a man's³⁷⁶ son,¹¹²¹ whose name⁸⁰³⁴ was Ithra³⁵⁰¹ an Israelite,³⁴⁸¹ that went in⁹³⁵ to Abigail²⁶ the daughter¹³²³ of Nahash,⁵¹⁷⁶ sister²⁶⁹ to Zeruiah⁶⁸⁷⁰ Joab's³⁰⁹⁷ mother.⁵¹⁷

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

And it came 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

Brought⁵⁰⁶⁶ beds,⁴⁹⁰⁴ and basons,⁵⁵⁹² and earthen³³³⁵ vessels,³⁶²⁷ and wheat,²⁴⁰⁶ and barley,⁸¹⁸⁴ and flour,⁷⁰⁵⁸ and parched⁷⁰³⁹ corn, and beans,⁶³²¹ and lentiles,⁵⁷⁴² and parched⁷⁰³⁹ pulse,

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