1 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight. 2 I will come on him while he is weary and exhausted, and will make him afraid. All the people who are with him will flee. I will strike the king only, 3 and I will bring back all the people to you. The man whom you seek is as if all returned. All the people shall be in peace."

4 The saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. 5 Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let’s hear likewise what he says."

6 When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, "Ahithophel has spoken like this. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up."

7 Hushai said to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good." 8 Hushai said moreover, "You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are fierce in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. 9 Behold, he is now hidden in some pit, or in some other place. It will happen, when some of them have fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom!’ 10 Even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. 11 But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that you go to battle in your own person. 12 So we will come on him in some place where he will be found, and we will light on him as the dew falls on the ground, then we will not leave so much as one of him and of all the men who are with him. 13 Moreover, if he has gone into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there isn’t one small stone found there."

14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For Yahweh had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom.

15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel that way; and I have counseled this way. 16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, ‘Don’t lodge tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.’"

17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En Rogel; and a female servant used to go and report to them, and they went and told king David; for they couldn’t risk being seen coming into the city. 18 But a boy saw them, and told Absalom. Then they both went away quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down there. 19 The woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and spread out crushed grain on it; and nothing was known. 20 Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?"

The woman said to them, "They have gone over the brook of water."

When they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 21 After they had departed, they came up out of the well and went and told king David; and they said to David, "Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counseled against you."

22 Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them who had not gone over the Jordan.

23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, arose, and went home to his city, set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.

24 Then David came to Mahanaim. Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 25 Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26 Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

27 When David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, 28 brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans, lentils, roasted grain, 29 honey, butter, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him to eat; for they said, "The people are hungry, weary, and thirsty in the wilderness."

1 亚希多弗又对押沙龙说： "求你准我挑选一万二千人， 今晚我要动身去追赶大卫，

2 趁他疲乏手软的时候， 忽然追上他， 使他惊惶失措， 与他在一起的人就必逃跑； 我只要单单击杀王一人，

3 使众人都来归你。你所寻索的那个人一死， 众人就都归你了， 众人也可以平安无事。"

4 押沙龙和以色列的众长老都看这事为美。

5 押沙龙说： "把亚基人户筛召来， 我们也听听他怎么说。"

6 于是户筛来见押沙龙， 押沙龙问他说： "亚希多弗说了这样的话， 我们可以照着他的话去行吗？如果不可以， 请你提议吧！ "

7 户筛回答押沙龙： "亚希多弗这次计划的谋略不好。"

8 户筛又说： "你知道你父亲和那些跟随他的人都是勇士； 他们凶恶威猛， 好像野地里丧子的母熊一样； 并且你父亲是个战士， 必不会与众人在一起住宿。

9 现在他或躺在一个坑中， 或在另一个地方， 如果他首先攻击你的手下， 听见的人就必说： ‘跟从押沙龙的人被杀了！ ’

10 那时， 纵使有人像狮子一般勇敢， 心里也必惊慌， 因为全以色列都知道你父亲是个勇士， 跟随他的人都是英勇的人。

11 因此， 我建议把以色列众人， 从但到别是巴， 都聚集到你这里来， 好像海边的沙那样多， 然后你亲自率领他们上战场。

12 无论我们在哪一个地方找到大卫， 就攻击他； 我们临到他， 像露水降在地上一样。这样， 他和跟随他的人， 就一个也不会留下。

13 如果他退入城里去， 以色列众人就要带绳子到那城去， 我们要把那城拉到河里去， 使那里连一块小石头也找不到。"

14 押沙龙和以色列众人都说： "亚基人户筛的谋略比亚希多弗的好。"因为耶和华定意要破坏亚希多弗的好计谋， 为要降灾祸给押沙龙。

15 于是户筛对撒督祭司和亚比亚他说： "亚希多弗为押沙龙和以色列的众长老所策定的谋略是这样这样的， 我所策定的谋略又是这样这样的。

16 现在你们要赶快派人去告诉大卫： ‘今天晚上你不可在旷野的渡口住宿， 务要过河， 免得王和跟随他的众人都被吞灭。’"

17 那时， 约拿单和亚希玛斯停留在隐．罗结， 他们不敢进城， 怕被人看见。有一个婢女经常出来， 把话告诉他们， 然后他们再去告诉大卫王。

18 但有一个仆人看见他们， 就去告诉押沙龙。因此， 他们两人急忙离开那里， 来到巴户琳某人的家里； 那人的院子里有一口井， 他们就下到井里。

19 那家的主妇拿了一块大布， 盖在井口上， 又在上面铺了一些麦子， 所以没有人知道这件事。

20 押沙龙的臣仆到这家来见那妇人， 问她： "亚希玛斯和约拿单在哪里？"那妇人回答他们说： "他们已经过了河了。"于是臣仆搜索他们， 却没有找着， 就都回耶路撒冷去了。

21 他们走了以后， 两人从井里上来， 去告诉大卫王， 对大卫说： "你们要起来， 赶快过河， 因为亚希多弗已经定了这样这样的谋略攻击你们。"

22 于是大卫和跟随他的众人都起来， 渡过约旦河； 到了天亮， 没有一人还没有渡过约旦河的。

23 亚希多弗见自己的谋略不被采纳， 就预备了驴子， 起程往本城自己的家去。他安排好了家里的事， 就上吊死了， 埋葬在他父亲的坟墓里。

24 大卫到了玛哈念， 押沙龙和跟随他的以色列众人也都过了约旦河。

25 押沙龙派亚玛撒统率军队， 作军队的元帅， 取代约押。亚玛撒是以实玛利人以特拉的儿子。以特拉曾经与拿辖的女儿亚比该亲近过； 亚比该和约押的母亲洗鲁雅是姊妹。

26 以色列人和押沙龙都在基列地安营。

27 大卫到了玛哈念的时候， 亚扪族的拉巴人拿辖的儿子朔比、罗．底巴人亚米利的儿子玛吉、基列的罗基琳人巴西莱，

28 带来寝具、碗盘、瓦器、小麦、大麦、面粉、炒麦、豆子、红豆、炒豆、

29 蜂蜜、奶油、绵羊和乳酪送给大卫和跟随他的人吃， 因为他们说： "这些人在旷野一定又饥饿， 又疲倦， 又口渴了。"