^17:1Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me pick out twelve thousand men. Then I will go and pursue David this very night. ^17:2When I catch up with¹ him he will be exhausted and worn out.² I will rout him, and the entire army that is with him will flee. I will kill only the king ^17:3and will bring the entire army back to you. In exchange for the life of the man you are seeking, you will get back everyone.³ The entire army will return unharmed.”⁴

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Footnotes

1 Heb “and I will come upon him.”
2 Heb “exhausted and slack of hands.”
3 Heb “like the returning of all, the man whom you are seeking.” The reads differently: “And I will return all the people to you the way a bride returns to her husband, except for the life of the one man whom you are seeking.” The other early versions also struggled with this verse. Modern translations are divided as well: the , , , and follow the , while the and follow the Hebrew text.
4 Heb “all of the people will be safe.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out in pursuit of David tonight. I will attack him while he is weary and discouraged, throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will scatter. I will strike down only the king and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns except the man you’re looking for, all the people will be at peace.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Now Ahithophel urged Absalom, “Let me choose 12,000 men to start out after David tonight. I will catch up with him while he is weary and discouraged. He and his troops will panic, and everyone will run away. Then I will kill only the king, and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only one man’s life that you seek. Then you will be at peace with all the people.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue after David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and weak. 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. Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you are seeking will be dead, but all the people will be safe.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: And I will come upon him while he is weary 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: 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.

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