1 GLT And Ahithophel said to Absalom,“Let me choose, please, 12, 000 men, and let me get up, and let me pursue after David tonight. BSB BSB: Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David.
2 GLT And I will come upon him, and he{ is} weary and weak of hands, and I will startle him, and all the people who{ are} with him will flee. And I will strike the king by himself. BSB BSB: I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king
3 GLT And I will return all the people to you, like the returning of all, the man whom you are seeking. All the people will be safe.” BSB BSB: and bring all the people back to you as a bride returning to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; then all the people will be at peace.”
4 GLT And the word was upright in the eyes of Absalom and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. BSB BSB: This proposal seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
5 GLT And Absalom said,“Now, call also to Hushai the Archite, and let us hear what{ is} in his mouth, even him.” BSB BSB: Then Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite as well, and let us hear what he too has to say.”
6 GLT And Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom said to him, saying,“According to this word, Ahithophel has spoken. Will we do his word? If not, you yourself, speak.” BSB BSB: So Hushai came to Absalom, who told him, “Ahithophel has spoken this proposal. Should we carry it out? If not, what do you say?”
7 GLT And Hushai said to Absalom,“Not good{ is} the counsel that Ahithophel has counseled at this time.” BSB BSB: Hushai replied, “This time the advice of Ahithophel is not sound.”
8 GLT And Hushai said,“You yourself know your father and his men— that they{ are} mighty men, and they{ are} bitter of spirit, like a bear bereaved in the field. And your father{ is} a man of war, and he will not spend the night with the people.” BSB BSB: He continued, “You know your father and his men. They are mighty men, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Moreover, your father is a man of war who will not spend the night with the troops.
9 GLT Look, now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in one of the places. And it will be when{ some} among them fall in the beginning, the person who hears will hear and say,‘A slaughter happened among the people who{ are} behind Absalom.’ BSB BSB: Surely by now he is hiding in a cave or some other location. If some of your troops fall first, whoever hears of it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’
10 GLT And he— also, a son of military prowess who his heart{ is} like a heart of the lion— will utterly melt, because all Israel knows that your father{ is} a mighty man and the sons of military prowess who{ are} with him. BSB BSB: Then even the most valiant soldier with the heart of a lion will melt with fear, because all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man who has valiant men with him.
11 GLT “For I will give counsel: All Israel will certainly be gathered to you, from Dan and up to Beersheba, as the sands which{ are} by the sea, to the multitude. And your face will be walking in the battle. BSB BSB: Instead, I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beersheba—a multitude like the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, and that you yourself lead them into battle.
12 GLT And we will come upon him in one of the places where he will be found there, and we{ will be} on him just as the dew falls on the ground. And we will not leave him or any of the men who{ are} with him, even one. BSB BSB: Then we will attack David wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. And of all the men with him, not even one will remain.
13 GLT And if he gathers into a city, and all Israel will bring ropes to that city. And we will drag it up to the river until even a pebble will not be found there.” BSB BSB: If he retreats to a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not even a pebble can be found there.”
14 GLT And Absalom and all the men of Israel said,“Better{ is} the counsel of Hushai the Archite than the counsel of Ahithophel.” And Yahweh commanded to foil the good counsel of Ahithophel for the sake of Yahweh bringing the disaster to Absalom. BSB BSB: 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 purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.
15 GLT And Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests,“Like that and like that Ahithophel counsels Absalom and the elders of Israel. And like that and like that I myself have counseled. BSB BSB: So Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “This is what Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I have advised.
16 GLT But now, send quickly and declare to David, saying,‘Do not spend tonight in the fords of the wilderness, and also certainly cross over lest the king and all the people who{ are} with him will be swallowed up.’” BSB BSB: Now send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but be sure to cross over. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’”
17 GLT And Jonathan and Ahimaaz were standing in the spring of Rogel, and a female servant would come, and she would inform them, and they themselves would go, and they would inform King David, for they were not able to be seen entering the city. BSB BSB: Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, for they dared not be seen entering the city.
18 GLT And a young man saw them, and he informed Absalom. And the two of them went quickly, and they came to the house of a man in Bahurim, and a well{ belonged} to him in his courtyard, and they went down there. BSB BSB: But a young man did see them and told Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.
19 GLT And the woman took and stretched out the cover over the face of the well, and she spread grain over it. And the matter was not known. BSB BSB: Then the man’s wife took a covering, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain over it so nobody would know a thing.
20 GLT And the servants of Absalom came to the woman of the house, and they said,“Where{ are} Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them,“They crossed over the brook of water.” And they sought, but they did not find, and they returned{ to} Jerusalem. BSB BSB: When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They have crossed over the brook,” she replied. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.
21 GLT And it happened after they went, they went up from the well, and they went, and they informed King David. And they said to David,“Get up and quickly cross over the waters, for thus Ahithophel counseled against you.” BSB BSB: After the men had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed up out of the well and went to inform King David, saying, “Get up and cross over the river at once, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you.”
22 GLT And David and all the people who{ were} with him got up, and they crossed the Jordan until the light of morning, until one was not remaining that had not crossed the Jordan. BSB BSB: So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one left who had not crossed the Jordan.
23 GLT And Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not done, and he saddled his donkey, and he got up, and he went to his house, to his city, and he gave commands to his house, and he hanged himself. And he died, and he was buried in the grave of his father. BSB BSB: When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
24 GLT And David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. BSB BSB: Then David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.
25 GLT And Absalom appointed Amasa in the place of Joab over the army. And Amasa{ was} the son of a man, and his name{ was} Ithra the Israelite, who came to Abigail the daughter of Nahash the sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab. BSB BSB: Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.
26 GLT And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead. BSB BSB: So the Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.
27 GLT And it happened as David came to Mahanaim, and Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo- Debar and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim— BSB BSB: When David came to 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.
28 GLT beds and basins and vessels of{ the} potter and wheat and barley and flour and roasted grain and beans and lentils and roasted grain BSB BSB: They brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,
29 GLT and honey and butter and sheep and cheese of{ the} cattle they brought in to David and to the people who{ were} with him to eat, for they said,“The people{ are} hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.” BSB BSB: honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.