2 Samuel 17

1Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:

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

2and 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;

2'I will attack him while he is tired and weak. I will throw him into a panic, and everyone with him will run away. Then I will kill only the king.'

3and 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.

3'I will bring all the people back to you. If the man you are looking for is caught, it will be as if everyone returned. Then all the people will be at peace.'

4And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

4This plan seemed good to Absalom and all the leaders of Israel.

5Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.

5But Absalom said, 'Call Hushai the Archite also, and let’s hear what he has to say.'

6And 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.

6When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, 'Ahithophel has given us this plan. Should we do what he says? If not, tell us what you think.'

7And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given this time is not good.

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

8Hushai said moreover, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are 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.

8Hushai continued, 'You know your father and his men; they are professional soldiers. Right now they are as dangerous and angry as a wild bear in the field whose cubs have been stolen. Besides, your father is an experienced warrior; he won't spend the night sleeping with the troops.'

9Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them are fallen at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.

9'Even now, he is probably hidden in a cave or some other secret spot. If he attacks your men first, anyone who hears about it will say, "Absalom’s army is being slaughtered!"'

10And even he that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men.

10'Then even the bravest soldier, even one with a heart like a lion, will lose his courage. For everyone in Israel knows that your father is a great warrior and that his men are very brave.'

11But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

11'So here is my advice: Gather all the soldiers of Israel from Dan to Beersheba—a huge army as numerous as the sand on the seashore—and you yourself lead them into battle.'

12So 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 we will not leave so much as one.

12'We will find him wherever he is hiding and fall on him like dew covers the ground. Neither he nor any of the men with him will be left alive.'

13Moreover, 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.

13'If he retreats into a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city and pull its walls down into the valley until not even a pebble is left.'

14And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For Jehovah had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.

14Absalom and all the men of Israel said, 'Hushai the Archite’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.' This happened because the LORD had decided to defeat Ahithophel’s good advice in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

15Then 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.

15Then Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar the priests, 'Ahithophel advised Absalom and the leaders of Israel to do one thing, but I advised them to do another.'

16Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

16'Now send a message quickly and tell David, "Do not stay tonight at the river crossings in the wilderness. Cross over the Jordan River immediately, or the king and all his people will be wiped out."'

17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En-rogel; and a maid-servant used to go and tell them; and they went and told king David: for they might not be seen to come into the city.

17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A servant girl would go and give them information, and they would go and tell King David, because they couldn't risk being seen entering the city.

18But a lad saw them, and told Absalom: and they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down thither.

18But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them hurried away and went to a man’s house in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.

19And the woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and strewed bruised grain thereon; and nothing was known.

19The man's wife took a cloth, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on top of it so no one would know anyone was there.

20And Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They are gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

20When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, 'Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?' The woman answered, 'They have crossed over the stream.' The men searched but found no one, so they went back to Jerusalem.

21And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said unto David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water; for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

21After the servants left, the two men climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said, 'Hurry and cross the river, because Ahithophel has given advice to attack you.'

22Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over the Jordan.

22So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan River. By sunrise, every single one of them had made it across to the other side.

23And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home, unto his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

23When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and went home to his own city. After putting his affairs in order, he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

24Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

24David arrived at Mahanaim, while Absalom and all the men of Israel crossed the Jordan River in pursuit.

25And Absalom set Amasa over the host instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, that went in to Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.

25Absalom appointed Amasa as commander of the army to replace Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite; his mother was Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, who was Joab’s mother.

26And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

26Absalom and the Israelites set up their camp in the land of Gilead.

27And 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 Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

27When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.

28brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched grain, and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse,

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

29and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

29honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd. They brought these for David and his people to eat, because they said, 'The people are hungry, tired, and thirsty from being in the wilderness.'