Hushai Comes to Absalom

15 Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When Hushai the Arkite the friend of David came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king, long live the king!” 17 Absalom said to Hushai, “This is your loyal love with your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” 18 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No, rather, whom Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, to himm I will be, and with him I will remain. 19 ⌊Furthermore⌋,n for whom have I served? Is it not in the presence of his son that I have served before your father? ⌊So shall I serve you⌋!”o 20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” 21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go to the concubines of your father whom he left behind to watch over the house, then all of Israel will hear that you made yourself odious to your father, and ⌊all of your followers will be motivated⌋!”p 22 Then they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he went in to the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel. 23 The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days was regarded as when a manq inquired of the word of God, so all the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.

Hushai Frustrates the Counsel of Ahithophel

17 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue after David ⌊tonight⌋.a 2 I will come upon him while he is weary and ⌊weak⌋.b I will startle him, and all of the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king while he is alone. 3 Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you are seeking will be dead,c but all the people will be safe.” 4 The word was right in the eyes of Absalom and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. 5 Then Absalom said, “Please call also for Hushai the Arkite, and let us hear ⌊what he has to say⌋d also.” 6 So Hushai came to Absalom, who said to him, “Shall we do according to this word that Ahithophel has spoken? If not, then you tell us.” 7 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel gave is not good ⌊at this time⌋.”e 8 Hushai continued, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty warriors and they ⌊are enraged⌋f as a bear robbed of her offspring in the field. Your father is a man of war, so he will not spend the night with the troops. 9 Now he has hidden himself in one of the caves or in one of the places. At the moment he falls on themg the first time, ⌊whoever hears⌋h the report will say, ‘There has been a defeat among the people who follow after Absalom.’ 10 And he is also a ⌊valiant warrior⌋,i whose heart is like the heart of the lion. Hej will ⌊certainly melt⌋k with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty warrior and those who are with him are ⌊valiant warriors⌋.l 11 I give the advice that all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba should be completely gathered to you, as the sand which is on the seashore for abundance, with ⌊you personally⌋m going into the battle. 12 Then we will come to him in one of the places where he may be found, and we shall come upon him as the dew falls on the ground. He and all the men who are with him will not survive, not even one! 13 Even if he withdraws to a city, all Israel will bring up ropes to that city, and they will drag him away to the valley until there is not even a pebble to be found.” 14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” (Now Yahweh had ordained to frustrate the good counsel of Ahithophel in order for Yahweh to bring misery upon Absalom).