2 Samuel 16:16--17:14

And it came to pass, when Hushai
<02365>

the Archite
<0757>_,

David's
<01732>

friend
<07463>_,

was come
<0935> (8804)

unto Absalom
<053>_,

that Hushai
<02365>

said
<0559> (8799)

unto Absalom
<053>_,

God save
<02421> (8799)

the king
<04428>_,

God save
<02421> (8799)

the king
<04428>_.

And Absalom
<053>

said
<0559> (8799)

to Hushai
<02365>_,

[Is] this thy kindness
<02617>

to thy friend
<07453>_?

why wentest
<01980> (8804)

thou not with thy friend
<07453>_?

And Hushai
<02365>

said
<0559> (8799)

unto Absalom
<053>_,

Nay; but whom the LORD
<03068>_,

and this people
<05971>_,

and all the men
<0376>

of Israel
<03478>_,

choose
<0977> (8804)_,

his will I be, and with him will I abide
<03427> (8799)_.

And again
<08145>_,

whom should I serve
<05647> (8799)_?

[should I] not [serve] in the presence
<06440>

of his son
<01121>_?

as I have served
<05647> (8804)

in thy father's
<01>

presence
<06440>_,

so will I be in thy presence
<06440>_.

Then said
<0559> (8799)

Absalom
<053>

to Ahithophel
<0302>_,

Give
<03051> (8798)

counsel
<06098>

among you what we shall do
<06213> (8799)_.

And Ahithophel
<0302>

said
<0559> (8799)

unto Absalom
<053>_,

Go in
<0935> (8798)

unto thy father's
<01>

concubines
<06370>_,

which he hath left
<03240> (8689)

to keep
<08104> (8800)

the house
<01004>_;

and all Israel
<03478>

shall hear
<08085> (8804)

that thou art abhorred
<0887> (8738)

of thy father
<01>_:

then shall the hands
<03027>

of all that [are] with thee be strong
<02388> (8804)_.

So they spread
<05186> (8686)

Absalom
<053>

a tent
<0168>

upon the top of the house
<01406>_;

and Absalom
<053>

went in
<0935> (8799)

unto his father's
<01>

concubines
<06370>

in the sight
<05869>

of all Israel
<03478>_.

And the counsel
<06098>

of Ahithophel
<0302>_,

which he counselled
<03289> (8804)

in those days
<03117>_,

[was] as if a man
<0376>

had enquired
<07592> (8799)

at the oracle
<01697>

of God
<0430>_:

so [was] all the counsel
<06098>

of Ahithophel
<0302>

both with David
<01732>

and with Absalom
<053>_.

Moreover Ahithophel
<0302>

said
<0559> (8799)

unto Absalom
<053>_,

Let me now choose out
<0977> (8799)

twelve
<08147> <06240>

thousand
<0505>

men
<0376>_,

and I will arise
<06965> (8799)

and pursue
<07291> (8799)

after
<0310>

David
<01732>

this night
<03915>_:

And I will come
<0935> (8799)

upon him while he [is] weary
<03023>

and weak
<07504>

handed
<03027>_,

and will make him afraid
<02729> (8689)_:

and all the people
<05971>

that [are] with him shall flee
<05127> (8804)_;

and I will smite
<05221> (8689)

the king
<04428>

And I will bring back
<07725> (8686)

all the people
<05971>

unto thee: the man
<0376>

whom thou seekest
<01245> (8764)

[is] as if all returned
<07725> (8800)_:

[so] all the people
<05971>

shall be in peace
<07965>_.

And the saying
<01697>

pleased
<03474> (8799)

Absalom
<053>

well
<05869>_,

and all the elders
<02205>

of Israel
<03478>_.

Then said
<0559> (8799)

Absalom
<053>_,

Call
<07121> (8798)

now Hushai
<02365>

the Archite
<0757>

also, and let us hear
<08085> (8799)

likewise what he saith
<06310>_.

And when Hushai
<02365>

was come
<0935> (8799)

to Absalom
<053>_,

Absalom
<053>

spake
<0559> (8799)

unto him, saying
<0559> (8800)_,

Ahithophel
<0302>

hath spoken
<01696> (8765)

after this manner
<01697>_:

shall we do
<06213> (8799)

[after] his saying
<01697>_?

if not; speak
<01696> (8761)

And Hushai
<02365>

said
<0559> (8799)

unto Absalom
<053>_,

The counsel
<06098>

that Ahithophel
<0302>

hath given
<03289> (8804)

[is] not good
<02896>

at this time
<06471>_.

For, said
<0559> (8799)

Hushai
<02365>_,

thou knowest
<03045> (8804)

thy father
<01>

and his men
<0582>_,

that they [be] mighty men
<01368>_,

and they [be] chafed
<04751>

in their minds
<05315>_,

as a bear
<01677>

robbed
<07909>

of her whelps in the field
<07704>_:

and thy father
<01>

[is] a man
<0376>

of war
<04421>_,

and will not lodge
<03885> (8799)

with the people
<05971>_.

Behold, he is hid
<02244> (8737)

now in some
<0259>

pit
<06354>_,

or in some
<0259>

[other] place
<04725>_:

and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown
<05307> (8800)

at the first
<08462>_,

that whosoever
<08085> (8802)

heareth
<08085> (8804)

it will say
<0559> (8804)_,

There is a slaughter
<04046>

among the people
<05971>

that follow
<0310>

Absalom
<053>_.

And he also [that is] valiant
<01121> <02428>_,

whose heart
<03820>

[is] as the heart
<03820>

of a lion
<0738>_,

shall utterly
<04549> (8736)

melt
<04549> (8735)_:

for all Israel
<03478>

knoweth
<03045> (8802)

that thy father
<01>

[is] a mighty man
<01368>_,

and [they] which [be] with him [are] valiant
<02428>

men
<01121>_.

Therefore I counsel
<03289> (8804)

that all Israel
<03478>

be generally
<0622> (8736)

gathered
<0622> (8735)

unto thee, from Dan
<01835>

even to Beersheba
<0884>_,

as the sand
<02344>

that [is] by the sea
<03220>

for multitude
<07230>_;

and that thou go
<01980> (8802)

to battle
<07128>

in thine own person
<06440>_.

So shall we come
<0935> (8804)

upon him in some
<0259>

place
<04725>

where he shall be found
<04672> (8738)_,

and we will light
<05168>

upon him as the dew
<02919>

falleth
<05307> (8799)

on the ground
<0127>_:

and of him and of all the men
<0582>

that [are] with him there shall not be left
<03498> (8738)

so much as
<01571>

one
<0259>_.

Moreover, if
<0518>

he be gotten
<0622> (8735)

into a city
<05892>_,

then shall all Israel
<03478>

bring
<05375> (8689)

ropes
<02256>

to that city
<05892>_,

and we will draw
<05498> (8804)

it into the river
<05158>_,

until there be not one
<01571>

small stone
<06872>

found
<04672> (8738)

And Absalom
<053>

and all the men
<0376>

of Israel
<03478>

said
<0559> (8799)_,

The counsel
<06098>

of Hushai
<02365>

the Archite
<0757>

[is] better
<02896>

than the counsel
<06098>

of Ahithophel
<0302>_.

For the LORD
<03068>

had appointed
<06680> (8765)

to defeat
<06565> (8687)

the good
<02896>

counsel
<06098>

of Ahithophel
<0302>_,

to the intent
<05668>

that the LORD
<03068>

might bring
<0935> (8687)

evil
<07451>

upon Absalom
<053>_.