2 Samuel 17:1-14 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom , Let me now choose out twelve thousand men , and I will arise and pursue after David this night:

KJV_Strongs⁽ⁱ⁾

1 H302 Moreover Ahithophel H559 said [H8799] H53 unto Absalom H977 , Let me now choose out [H8799] H8147 twelve H6240 H505 thousand H376 men H6965 , and I will arise [H8799] H7291 and pursue [H8799] H310 after H1732 David H3915 this night:

2 H935 And I will come [H8799] H3023 upon him while he is weary H7504 and weak H3027 handed H2729 , and will make him afraid [H8689] H5971 : and all the people H5127 that are with him shall flee [H8804] H5221 ; and I will smite [H8689] H4428 the king only:

3 H7725 And I will bring back [H8686] H5971 all the people H376 unto thee: the man H1245 whom thou seekest [H8764] H7725 is as if all returned [H8800] H5971 : so all the people H7965 shall be in peace.

4 H1697 And the saying H3474 pleased [H8799] H53 Absalom H5869 well H2205 , and all the elders H3478 of Israel.

5 H559 Then said [H8799] H53 Absalom H7121 , Call [H8798] H2365 now Hushai H757 the Archite H8085 also, and let us hear [H8799] H6310 likewise what he saith.

6 H2365 And when Hushai H935 was come [H8799] H53 to Absalom H53 , Absalom H559 spake [H8799] H559 unto him, saying [H8800] H302 , Ahithophel H1696 hath spoken [H8765] H1697 after this manner H6213 : shall we do [H8799] H1697 after his saying H1696 ? if not; speak [H8761] thou.

7 H2365 And Hushai H559 said [H8799] H53 unto Absalom H6098 , The counsel H302 that Ahithophel H3289 hath given [H8804] H2896 is not good H6471 at this time.

8 H559 For, said [H8799] H2365 Hushai H3045 , thou knowest [H8804] H1 thy father H582 and his men H1368 , that they be mighty men H4751 , and they be chafed H5315 in their minds H1677 , as a bear H7909 robbed H7704 of her whelps in the field H1 : and thy father H376 is a man H4421 of war H3885 , and will not lodge [H8799] H5971 with the people.

9 H2244 Behold, he is hid [H8737] H259 now in some H6354 pit H259 , or in some H4725 other place H5307 : and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown [H8800] H8462 at the first H8085 , that whosoever [H8802] H8085 heareth [H8804] H559 it will say [H8804] H4046 , There is a slaughter H5971 among the people H310 that follow H53 Absalom.

10 H1121 And he also that is valiant H2428 H3820 , whose heart H3820 is as the heart H738 of a lion H4549 , shall utterly [H8736] H4549 melt [H8735] H3478 : for all Israel H3045 knoweth [H8802] H1 that thy father H1368 is a mighty man H2428 , and they which be with him are valiant H1121 men.

11 H3289 Therefore I counsel [H8804] H3478 that all Israel H622 be generally [H8736] H622 gathered [H8735] H1835 unto thee, from Dan H884 even to Beersheba H2344 , as the sand H3220 that is by the sea H7230 for multitude H1980 ; and that thou go [H8802] H7128 to battle H6440 in thine own person.

12 H935 So shall we come [H8804] H259 upon him in some H4725 place H4672 where he shall be found [H8738] H5168 , and we will light H2919 upon him as the dew H5307 falleth [H8799] H127 on the ground H582 : and of him and of all the men H3498 that are with him there shall not be left [H8738] H1571 so much as H259 one.

13 H518 Moreover, if H622 he be gotten [H8735] H5892 into a city H3478 , then shall all Israel H5375 bring [H8689] H2256 ropes H5892 to that city H5498 , and we will draw [H8804] H5158 it into the river H1571 , until there be not one H6872 small stone H4672 found [H8738] there.

14 H53 And Absalom H376 and all the men H3478 of Israel H559 said [H8799] H6098 , The counsel H2365 of Hushai H757 the Archite H2896 is better H6098 than the counsel H302 of Ahithophel H3068 . For the LORD H6680 had appointed [H8765] H6565 to defeat [H8687] H2896 the good H6098 counsel H302 of Ahithophel H5668 , to the intent H3068 that the LORD H935 might bring [H8687] H7451 evil H53 upon Absalom.

ERV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ 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 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: 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 Hushai 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 this time is not good. ⁸ Hushai said moreover, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a 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 fallen at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. ¹⁰ And even he that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. ¹¹ But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as 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 we will not leave 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 small 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 ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.