1 Ahithophel said to Absalom, 'Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue David tonight.'

Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:

2 I will attack him while he is weary and weak-handed, and I will frighten him. All the people with him will flee, and I will strike down only the king.

And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:

3 I will bring back all the people to you, as though everyone returns to the man you seek. Then all the people will be at peace.

And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.

4 This plan seemed good in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then Absalom said, 'Summon Hushai the Archite as well, so we may hear what he has to say.'

Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.

6 When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, 'This is what Ahithophel has advised. Should we follow his advice? If not, speak up.'

And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou.

7 Hushai said to Absalom, 'The advice Ahithophel has given this time is not good.'

And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.

8 Hushai continued, 'You know your father and his men; they are mighty warriors and bitter in spirit, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Your father is an experienced fighter, and he will not spend the night with the troops.'

For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

9 'Even now, he is hiding in one of the caves or some other place. If he attacks first, anyone who hears about it will say, "There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom."'

Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.

10 'Then even the bravest, whose courage is like that of a lion, will utterly melt away. For all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and that those with him are valiant men.'

And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men.

11 'This is my advice: Gather all Israel to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and you yourself lead them into battle.'

Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

12 'We will come upon him wherever he is found, and we will fall on him like dew settling on the ground. Not even one of his men will survive.'

So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.

13 'If he retreats into a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will pull it into the valley until not even a pebble remains.'

Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.

14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, 'The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.' For the LORD had ordained to thwart the good advice of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring disaster upon Absalom.

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

15 Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, 'Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised differently.'

Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

16 Now, send word quickly to David, saying, 'Do not spend the night in the wilderness near the fords. Cross over immediately, or the king and all the people with him may be swallowed up.'

Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel. A servant girl would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not be seen entering the city.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.

18 But a young man saw them and reported it to Absalom. So both of them left quickly and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.

Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.

19 The man's wife took a covering, spread it over the opening of the well, and scattered grain on top of it so that nothing was noticeable.

And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.

20 When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, 'Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?' She answered, 'They crossed over the stream.' The servants searched but did not find them, and they returned to Jerusalem.

And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 After they had left, the two men came up out of the well. They went and informed King David, saying, 'Get up and cross the river quickly, because this is what Ahithophel has advised against you.'

And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

22 So David and all the people with him arose and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, not a single one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, set out for his house in his hometown, set his house in order, and then hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father's tomb.

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

24 David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.

Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

25 Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, an Israelite who had gone in to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab.

And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

26 Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.

27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim brought supplies to him.

And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

28 They brought bedding, bowls, clay utensils, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, and more roasted grain.

Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,

29 They also brought honey, butter, sheep, and cheese from cattle for David and the people with him to eat. They said, 'The people are hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.'

And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.