| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Now let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. | 1Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose 12,000 men, and I will set out in pursuit of David tonight. |
| 2I will come upon him while he is weary and weak, and make him afraid. And all the people who are with him will flee, and I will strike only the king. | 2I will attack him while he is weak and weary, throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will scatter. I will strike down only the king |
| 3Then I will bring back all the people to you. When all return except the man whom you seek, all the people will be at peace.” | 3and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns except the man you're seeking, all the people will be at peace." |
| 4And the saying pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel. | 4This proposal seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel. |
| 5Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he says too.” | 5Then Absalom said, "Summon Hushai the Archite also. Let's hear what he has to say as well." |
| 6And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken in this manner. Shall we do as he says? If not, speak up.” | 6So Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom told him: "Ahithophel offered this proposal. Should we carry out his proposal? If not, what do you say?" |
| 7So Hushai said to Absalom: “The advice that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time. | 7Hushai replied to Absalom, "The advice Ahithophel has given this time is not good." |
| 8For,” said Hushai, “you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are enraged in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field; and your father is a man of war, and will not camp with the people. | 8Hushai continued, "You know your father and his men. They are warriors and are desperate like a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced soldier who won't spend the night with the people. |
| 9Surely by now he is hidden in some pit, or in some other place. And it will be, when some of them are overthrown at the first, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ | 9He's probably already hiding in one of the caves or some other place. If some of our troops fall first, someone is sure to hear and say, 'There's been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.' |
| 10And even he who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt completely. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. | 10Then, even a brave man with the heart of a lion will melt because all Israel knows that your father and the valiant men with him are warriors. |
| 11Therefore I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, like the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. | 11Instead, I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba--as numerous as the sand by the sea--be gathered to you and that you personally go into battle. |
| 12So we will come upon him in some place where he may be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground. And of him and all the men who are with him there shall not be left so much as one. | 12Then we will attack David wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. Not even one will be left of all the men with him. |
| 13Moreover, if he has withdrawn into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city; and we will pull it into the river, until there is not one small stone found there.” | 13If he retreats to some city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag its stones into the valley until not even a pebble can be found there." |
| 14So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring disaster on Absalom. | 14Since the LORD had decreed that Ahithophel's good advice be undermined in order to bring about Absalom's ruin, Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel's advice." |
| 15Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Thus and so Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so I have advised. | 15Hushai then told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I advised. |
| 16Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’ ” | 16Now send someone quickly and tell David, 'Don't spend the night at the wilderness ford of the Jordan, but be sure to cross over, or the king and all the people with him will be destroyed.'" |
| 17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at En Rogel, for they dared not be seen coming into the city; so a female servant would come and tell them, and they would go and tell King David. | 17Jonathan 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, because they dared not be seen entering the city. |
| 18Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom. But both of them went away quickly and came to a man’s house in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down into it. | 18However, a young man did see them and informed 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. |
| 19Then the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known. | 19Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything. |
| 20And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” So the woman said to them, “They have gone over the water brook.” And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. | 20Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?"" They passed by toward the water," the woman replied to them. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem. |
| 21Now it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said to David, “Arise and cross over the water quickly. For thus has Ahithophel advised against you.” | 21After they had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed out of the well and went and informed King David. They told him, "Get up and immediately ford the river, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you." |
| 22So David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed over the Jordan. By morning light not one of them was left who had not gone over the Jordan. | 22So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one who had not crossed the Jordan. |
| 23Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb. | 23When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He set his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father's tomb. |
| 24Then David went to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. | 24David had arrived at Mahanaim by the time Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. |
| 25And Absalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. This Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jithra, an Israelite, who had gone in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. | 25Now Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in Joab's place. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Israelite; Ithra had married Abigail daughter of Nahash. Abigail was a sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother. |
| 26So Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. | 26And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead. |
| 27Now it happened, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, | 27When David came to Mahanaim, 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, earthen vessels and wheat, barley and flour, parched grain and beans, lentils and parched seeds, | 28brought beds, basins, and pottery items. They also brought wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, |
| 29honey and curds, sheep and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who 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 for David and the people with him to eat. They had reasoned, "The people must be hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the desert." |
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