Hushai Counters Ahithophel’s Advice

1And Ahithophel will say to Absalom, I will now choose twelve thousand men, and I will rise and pursue after David this night: 2And I shall come upon him and he being weary and relaxed in hands, and I made him afraid: and all the people which are with him, fleeing; and I struck the king alone, 3And I will turn back all the people to thee: as the turning back of all, the man whom thou seekest; and to all the people shall be peace. 4And the word will be straight in the eyes of Absalom and in the eyes of all the old men of Israel.

5And Absalom will say, Call now also for Hushai the Archite, and we will hear also, what is in his mouth. 6And Hushai will come to Absalom, and Absalom will say to him, saying, According to this word spake Ahithophel: shall we do his word? if not, speak thou. 7And Hushai will say to Absalom, The counsel which Ahithophel counseled is not good in this time. 8And Hushai will say, Thou knewest thy father and his men that they are mighty, and they bitter of soul as a bear bereaved of offspring in the field: and thy father a man of war, and he will not lodge with the people. 9Behold now, he hid in one of the pits, or in one of the places: and it being when there fell among them in the beginning, and he hearing heard and said, was a slaughter among the people which are after Absalom. 10And he also the son of strength whose heart according to the heart of the lion, melting, will melt away: for all Israel knew that thy father is mighty, and the sons of strength which are with him. 11For I counseled being gathered, all Israel shall be gathered to thee from Dan and even to the Well of the Oath, as the sand which is upon the sea for multitude; and thy face going in the midst of them. 12And we came upon him in one of the places which we shall find there, and we upon him as the dew will fall upon the earth: and we will not leave of him and of all the men which are with him, even one. 13And if he shall be gathered into the city, and all Israel shall lift up ropes to that city, and we dragged it even to the torrent, till we shall not find there even a stone. 14And Absalom will say, and every man of Israel, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is good above the counsel of Ahithophel. And Jehovah commanded to frustrate the good counsel of Ahithophel so that Jehovah brought evil upon Absalom.

Hushai’s Warning Saves David
(Psalm 55:1–23)

15And Hushai will say to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, According to this, and according to this, Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the old men of Israel; and according to this and according to this, I counseled. 16And now send quickly and announce to David, saying, Thou wilt not lodge this night in Araboth of the desert, and also passing over, thou shalt pass over, lest he shall swallow up to the king and to all the people which are with him. 17And Jonathan and Ahimaaz standing by the fountain of Rogel; and a maid-servant went and announced to them, and they will go, and announce to king David, for they will not be able to be seen to come to the city. 18And a boy will see them and be will announce to Absalom; and they two will go quickly and will come to the house of a man in Bahurim, and to him a well In his enclosure; and they will go down there, 19And the woman will take and spread the covering upon the mouth of the well and she will spread the medicine upon it; and the word will not be known. 20And Absalom's servants will come to the woman to her house, and they will say, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? and the woman will say to them, They passed over the brook of waters. And they will seek and not find; and they will turn back to Jerusalem.

21And it will be after their going, and they will come up out of the well and will go and announce to king David, and they will say to David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the waters, for thus counseled Ahithophel against you. 22And David will rise, and all the people which are with him, and they will pass over Jordan: till the light of the morning till not one was lacking which passed not over Jordan.

23And Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not done, and he will saddle the ass and rise and go to his house to his city, and command his house, and he will strangle himself and die. And he will be buried in the grave of his father.

24And David came to the camp. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 25And Absalom set Amasa instead of Joab over the army: and Amasa a man's son, and his name Ithra, the Israelite, who went in to Abigail, daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, mother of Joab. 26And Israel and Absalom will encamp in the land of Gilead.

27And it will be as David went to Mahanaim, and Shobi, son of Nahash of Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and Machir son of Ammiel of Lo-Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, 28Beds and basins and vessels of earth, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched grain, and the bean and lentiles, and parched grain, 29And honey and curdled milk, and sheep, and cheeses of kine, they brought near for David and for the people which Are with him, to eat; for they said the people are hungry and faint and thirsty in the desert.