(KJV) 2 Samuel 17¹

⥃Hushai Counters Ahithophel’s Advice

[1] Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise² and pursue after David this night³: [2] And I will come upon him while he [is] weary⁴ and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that [are] with him shall flee; and I will smite⁵ the king only: [3] And I will bring⁶ back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be⁷ in peace. [4] And the saying⁸ pleased Absalom well⁹, and all the elders of Israel. [5] Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai¹⁰ the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith¹¹. [6] And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying¹², Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do [after] his saying? if not; speak thou. [7] And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given¹³ [is] not good¹⁴ at this time. [8] For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men¹⁵, and they [be] chafed in their minds¹⁶, as a bear¹⁷ robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father [is¹⁸] a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. [9] Behold, he is hid¹⁹ now in some²⁰ pit, or in some [other] place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown²¹ at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. [10] And he also [that is] valiant, whose heart²² [is] as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt²³: for all Israel knoweth that thy father²⁴ [is] a mighty man, and [they] which²⁵ [be] with him [are] valiant men. [11] Therefore I counsel that all Israel²⁶ be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, as the sand²⁷ that [is] by the sea for multitude; and that thou go²⁸²⁹ to battle in thine³⁰ own person. [12] So shall we come upon him in some place³¹ where he shall be found, and we will light³² 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] Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes³³ to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small³⁴ stone found there. [14] And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite [is] better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the Lord³⁵ had appointed³⁶ to defeat³⁷ the good counsel³⁸ of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

⥃Hushai’s Warning Saves David ^{[ Psalms 55:1–23 ]}

[15] Then said Hushai unto Zadok³⁹ 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 therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge⁴⁰ not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily⁴¹ pass over; lest the king be swallowed⁴² up, and all the people that [are] with him. [17] Now Jonathan⁴³ and Ahimaaz stayed⁴⁴ by En–rogel⁴⁵; 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] Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man’s house in Bahurim⁴⁶, which had a well in his court; whither they went down. [19] And the woman took and spread a covering⁴⁷ over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing⁴⁸ was not known. [20] 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 gone⁴⁹ over the brook of water. And when they had sought⁵⁰ and could not find [them], they returned to Jerusalem. [21] 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, Arise⁵¹, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel⁵² counselled against you. [22] Then David arose, and all the people that [were] with him, and they passed⁵³ over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked⁵⁴ not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

[23] [¶]And when Ahithophel saw⁵⁵ that his counsel was not followed⁵⁶, he saddled [his] ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city⁵⁷, and put his household in order⁵⁸, and hanged⁵⁹ himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father. [24] Then David came to Mahanaim⁶⁰. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

[25] [¶]And Absalom made Amasa⁶¹ captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa [was] a man’s son, whose name [was] Ithra⁶² an Israelite, that went in to Abigail⁶³ the daughter of Nahash⁶⁴, sister to Zeruiah Joab’s mother. [26] So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.⁶⁵

[27] [¶]And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash⁶⁶ of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir⁶⁷ the son of Ammiel of Lo–debar, and Barzillai⁶⁸ the Gileadite of Rogelim, [28] Brought beds⁶⁹, and basons⁷⁰, and earthen vessels⁷¹, and wheat⁷², and barley, and flour, and parched [corn], and beans, and lentiles, and parched [pulse], [29] And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine⁷³, for David⁷⁴, and for the people that [were] with him, to eat⁷⁵: for they said, The people⁷⁶ [is] hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness⁷⁷.