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2 S A MU EL 1 8
14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel
said, “Hushai’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.” For the Lord had determined to defeat
the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the
better plan, so that he could bring disaster on
Absalom!
Hushai Warns David to Escape
15 Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests,
what Ahithophel had said to Absalom and the
elders of Israel and what he himself had advised
instead. 16 “Quick!” he told them. “Find David
and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the
Jordan River* tonight. He must go across at once
into the wilderness beyond. Otherwise he will
die and his entire army with him.”
17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at
En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for
a servant girl to bring them the message they
were to take to King David. 18 But a boy spotted
them at En-rogel, and he told Absalom about it.
So they quickly escaped to Bahurim, where a
man hid them down inside a well in his courtyard. 19 The man’s wife put a cloth over the top
of the well and scattered grain on it to dry in the
sun; so no one suspected they were there.
20 When Absalom’s men arrived, they asked
her, “Have you seen Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
The woman replied, “They were here, but
they crossed over the brook.” Absalom’s men
looked for them without success and returned
to Jerusalem.
21 Then the two men crawled out of the well
and hurried on to King David. “Quick!” they
told him, “cross the Jordan tonight!” And they
told him how Ahithophel had advised that he
be captured and killed. 22 So David and all the
people with him went across the Jordan River
during the night, and they were all on the other
bank before dawn.
23 When Ahithophel realized that his advice
had not been followed, he saddled his donkey,
went to his hometown, set his affairs in order,
and hanged himself. He died there and was buried in the family tomb.
24 David soon arrived at Mahanaim. By now,
Absalom had mobilized the entire army of
Israel and was leading his troops across the
Jordan River. 25 Absalom had appointed Amasa
as commander of his army, replacing Joab, who
had been commander under David. (Amasa was
Joab’s cousin. His father was Jether,* an Ishmaelite.* His mother, Abigail daughter of Nahash,
was the sister of Joab’s mother, Zeruiah.) 26 Absalom and the Israelite army set up camp in the
land of Gilead.
27 When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was
warmly greeted by Shobi son of Nahash, who
came from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and by
Makir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and by
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Barzillai of Gilead from Rogelim. 28 They brought
sleeping mats, cooking pots, serving bowls,
wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain,
beans, lentils, 29 honey, butter, sheep, goats,
and cheese for David and those who were with
him. For they said, “You must all be very hungry and tired and thirsty after your long march
through the wilderness.”
Absalom’s Defeat and Death
David now mustered the men who were
with him and appointed generals and
captains* to lead them. 2 He sent the troops
out in three groups, placing one group under
Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of
Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from
Gath. The king told his troops, “I am going out
with you.”
3 But his men objected strongly. “You must
not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and
run—and even if half of us die—it will make
no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will
be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000
of us,* and it is better that you stay here in the
town and send help if we need it.”
4 “If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,”
the king answered. So he stood alongside the
gate of the town as all the troops marched out in
groups of hundreds and of thousands.
5 And the king gave this command to Joab,
Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently
with young Absalom.” And all the troops heard
the king give this order to his commanders.
6 So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim,
7 and the Israelite troops were beaten back by
David’s men. There was a great slaughter that
day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives. 8 The
battle raged all across the countryside, and
more men died because of the forest than were
killed by the sword.
9 During the battle, Absalom happened to
come upon some of David’s men. He tried to
escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath
the thick branches of a great tree, his hair* got
caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left
him dangling in the air. 10 One of David’s men
saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw
Absalom dangling from a great tree.”
11 “What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him
there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded
you with ten pieces of silver* and a hero’s belt!”
12 “I would not kill the king’s son for even a
thousand pieces of silver,*” the man replied
to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and
18
17:16 Hebrew at the crossing points of the wilderness.
17:25a Hebrew Ithra, a variant spelling of Jether. 17:25b As
in some Greek manuscripts (see also 1 Chr 2:17); Hebrew
reads an Israelite. 18:1 Hebrew appointed commanders of
thousands and commanders of hundreds. 18:3 As in two
Hebrew manuscripts and some Greek and Latin manuscripts;
most Hebrew manuscripts read Now there are 10,000 like us.
18:9 Hebrew his head. 18:11 Hebrew 10 [shekels] of silver,
about 4 ounces or 114 grams in weight. 18:12 Hebrew 1,000
[shekels] of silver, about 25 pounds or 11.4 kilograms in weight.