2 Samuel 17

17 ¹Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me pick 12,000 men and set out tonight after David. ²I will attack him while he is weary and weak, panic him, and all his people will flee; then I will strike down only the king. ³I will bring all the people back to you. The one man you seek—his death means everyone returns, and all the people will be at peace."

⁴This plan seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel. ⁵Absalom said, "Call Hushai the Archite too, and let's hear what he also says."

⁶When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, "Ahithophel advised this. Should we do what he says? If not, you speak."

⁷Hushai said to Absalom, "The counsel Ahithophel has given is not good this time. ⁸Hushai added, "You know your father and his men—fierce warriors, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Your father is a seasoned fighter; he won't sleep with the troops." ⁹Even now he's hidden in a pit or elsewhere. If some of your men fall first, whoever hears will say, 'Absalom's men have been slaughtered!' ¹⁰Then even the bravest, whose heart is a lion's heart, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows your father is a warrior and those with him are brave. ¹¹So here is my counsel: gather all Israel to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as many as the sand by the sea, and go into battle yourself. ¹²We'll reach him wherever he is, settle on him like dew on the ground, and leave alive neither him nor any of his men. ¹³If he pulls back into a city, all Israel will bring ropes there, and we will drag it into the valley until not a pebble is left."

¹⁴Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "Hushai the Archite's counsel is better than Ahithophel's." For our Father had determined to defeat Ahithophel's good counsel, so our Father could bring disaster on Absalom.

¹⁵Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and Israel's elders, and this is what I advised. ¹⁶Now send word quickly to David: 'Don't stay tonight at the wilderness fords; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.'"

¹⁷Jonathan and Ahimaaz waited at En-rogel; a servant girl would go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. ¹⁸But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two hurried off and reached a man's house at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. ¹⁹The man's wife spread a covering over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, so nothing was noticed. ²⁰When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" She said, "They crossed the brook." The men searched, found no one, and returned to Jerusalem.

²¹After they left, the two climbed out of the well and went and reported to King David. They said to him, "Get up and cross the water quickly, for Ahithophel has plotted this against you."

²²So David and everyone with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak not one was left who had not crossed it.

²³When Ahithophel saw his advice was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went home to his town. He set his house in order, then hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father's tomb.

²⁴David came to Mahanaim, while Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel beside him. ²⁵Absalom had set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa's father was Ithra the Israelite, who had married Abigail daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother. ²⁶Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷When David reached Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, ²⁸brought beds, basins, and pottery, along with wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, ²⁹honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat, for they said, "The people are hungry, tired, and thirsty in the wilderness."