2 Samuel 15:31–17:16

31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, oturn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. 32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the pArchite came to meet him qwith his coat rent, and rearth upon his head: 33 Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be sa burden unto me: 34 But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, tI will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father’s servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me udefeat the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king’s house, vthou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, they have there xwith them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok’s son, and Jonathan Abiathar’s son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear. 37 So yHushai David’s friend came into the city, zand Absalom came into Jerusalem.

16 And awhen David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, bZiba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred cbunches of raisins, and an hundred dof summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. 2 And the king said unto Ziba, eWhat meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be ffaint in the wilderness may drink. 3 And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? gAnd Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, †I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

5 And when king David came to hBahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was iShimei, the son of Gera: ||he came forth, and cursed still as he came. 6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou †bloody man, and thou kman of Belial: 8 The Lord lhath returned upon thee mall the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, †behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. 9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this ndead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. 10 And the king said, oWhat have I to do with you, pye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which qcame forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. 12 rIt may be that the Lord swill look on mine ||affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day. 13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and †cast dust. 14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

15 And tAbsalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the uArchite, David’s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, †God save the king, God save the king. 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? wwhy wentest thou not with thy friend? 18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. 19 And again, xwhom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.

20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. 21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s yconcubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou zart abhorred of thy father: then shall athe hands of all that are with thee be strong. 22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon bthe top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines cin the sight of all Israel. 23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the †oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel dboth with David and with Absalom.

17 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 2 And I will come upon him while he is aweary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only: 3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace. 4 And the saying †pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. 5 Then said Absalom, Call now bHushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise †what he saith. 6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, 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 †given is not good at this time. 8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be †chafed in their minds, as ca bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. 9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be †overthrown 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 heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly dmelt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. 11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, efrom Dan even to Beer-sheba, fas the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and †that thou go to battle in thine own person. 12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light 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 ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one gsmall 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 Lord had †appointed hto defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

15 iThen said Hushai unto Zadok 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, Lodge not this night kin the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.