The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Achitofel said to Avshalom, "Let me now choose 12,000 men, and I will pursue David tonight.
1
Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose 12,000 men and leave tonight to go after David.
2 I'll fall on him unexpectedly when he's tired and powerless. I'll frighten him, all the people with him will flee, and I'll attack only the king.
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I'll attack him while he's tired and weak, and I'll cause him to panic. All the people with him will flee, but I'll kill only him.
3 Then I will bring back to you all the people; and when they have all returned, except the one you are seeking, all the people will be at peace."
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I'll return all the people to you as a bride is returned to her husband. Since you will be seeking the life of only one man, all the people will have peace."
4 What he said pleased Avshalom and all the leaders of Isra'el.
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Absalom and all the leaders of Israel approved this plan.
5 Then Avshalom said, "Now call also Hushai the Arki, and let's give equal hearing to what he has to say."
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Absalom said, "Please call Hushai, who is descended from Archi's family, and let us hear what he, too, has to say."
6 When Hushai appeared before Avshalom, Avshalom said to him, "Achitofel has said such-and-such. Should we do what he says? If not, you tell us."
6
When Hushai arrived, Absalom said to him, "Ahithophel has told us his plan. Should we do what he says? If not, tell us."
7 Hushai said to Avshalom, "The advice Achitofel has given this time is not good.
7
"This time Ahithophel's advice is no good," Hushai said to Absalom.
8 You know," continued Hushai, "that your father and his men are powerful men, and that they are as bitter as a bear deprived of her cubs in the wild. Moreover, your father is a military man, and he won't camp with the rest of the people -
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"You know your father and his men. They are warriors as fierce as a wild bear whose cubs have been stolen. Your father is an experienced soldier. He will not camp with the troops tonight.
9 right now he's hidden in a pit or somewhere. So what will happen is this: when they begin their attack, and whoever hears about it says, 'A slaughter is taking place among Avshalom's followers,'
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He has already hidden in one of the ravines or some other place. If some of our soldiers are killed in the initial attack, others will definitely hear about it and say, 'The troops that support Absalom have been defeated.'
10 then even the strongest among them, someone whose courage is that of a lion, will completely collapse! For all Isra'el knows that your father is a powerful man, and those with him are powerful men.
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Even the bravest man with a heart like a lion would lose his courage, because all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and the men with him are brave.
11 Rather, I advise that you summon all Isra'el to come to you, from Dan to Be'er-Sheva, numbering as many as sand grains on the seashore; and then you go to battle, yourself.
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So my advice is to gather all Israel's troops from Dan to Beersheba, since they are as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Lead them into battle yourself.
12 In this way we'll come upon him wherever he is, and we'll fall on him as the dew falls on the ground; of him and all the men with him we won't leave even one alive.
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Then we'll attack him wherever we find him. We'll fall on him as dew falls on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left [alive].
13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Isra'el will bring up ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the riverbed until not even a pebble is left."
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If he retreats into a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city and drag it into a valley so that not even a pebble will be found there."
14 Avshalom and all the men of Isra'el said, "The advice of Hushai the Arki is better than the advice of Achitofel"- for ADONAI had determined to frustrate the good advice of Achitofel, so that ADONAI could bring disaster on Avshalom.
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Absalom and all the people of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai from Archi's family is better than Ahithophel's advice." (The LORD had commanded Ahithophel's good advice to be defeated in order to ruin Absalom.)
15 Then Hushai said to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim, "Achitofel gave such-and-such advice to Avshalom and the leaders of Isra'el, but I advised so and so.
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Then Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "Ahithophel advised Absalom and the leaders of Israel to do one thing, but I advised them to do something else.
16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David, "Don't stay tonight in the desert plains; but, whatever it takes, move on from there! Otherwise, the king and all the people with him will be engulfed."
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Now send messengers quickly to tell David, 'Don't rest tonight in the river crossings in the desert, but make sure you cross [the river], or Your Majesty and all the troops with him will be wiped out.'"
17 Y'honatan and Achima'atz were staying at 'Ein-Rogel; a female servant was to go and tell them, and they in turn were to go and tell King David - for it would not do to have them seen entering the city.
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Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They could not risk being seen coming into the city, so a servant girl was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David.
18 But a boy saw them and told Avshalom; so both of them took off quickly and came to the house of a man in Bachurim who had a cistern in his courtyard; and they went down into it.
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But a young man saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom. So both of them left quickly and came to the home of a man in Bahurim who had a cistern in his courtyard, and they went down into it.
19 His wife spread a covering over the cistern's opening and scattered drying grain on it, so that nothing showed.
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The man's wife took a cover, spread it over the top of the cistern, and scattered some grain over it so that no one could tell it was there.
20 Avshalom's servants came to the woman at the house and asked, "Where are Achima'atz and Y'honatan?"The woman answered them, "They've crossed the stream."After searching and not finding them, they returned to Yerushalayim.
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Absalom's servants came to the woman at her home. "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" they asked. The woman said, "They've crossed the stream." The servants looked for them but did not find them. So Absalom's servants returned to Jerusalem.
21 After they had left, the two climbed out of the cistern and went and told King David, "Get up and cross the river, because Achitofel has given such-and-such advice against you."
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After Absalom's servants left, both men came out of the cistern and went and told King David. "Leave right away," they told David. "Cross the river quickly because this is what Ahithophel has advised against you...."
22 David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Yarden; by dawn every one of them had crossed the Yarden.
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David and all the troops with him left to cross the Jordan River. When the dawn came, everyone had crossed the Jordan River.
23 When Achitofel saw that his advice was not being followed, he saddled his donkey, set out, and went home to his own city. After setting his house in order, he hanged himself; he died and was buried in his father's tomb.
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When Ahithophel saw that his advice hadn't been followed, he saddled his donkey, left, and went home to his own city. He gave instructions to his family. Then he hanged himself, died, and was buried in his father's tomb.
24 David had reached Machanayim by the time Avshalom and all the men of Isra'el crossed the Yarden.
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David had [already] come to Mahanaim by the time Absalom and all the men of Israel with him crossed the Jordan River.
25 Avshalom had put 'Amasa in charge of the army in place of Yo'av. 'Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Yitra the Isra'eli, who had had sexual relations with Avigal the daughter of Nachash, Tz'ruyah's sister and Yo'av's mother.
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Absalom appointed Amasa to take Joab's place as commander of the army. (Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, a descendant of Ishmael. His mother was Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Joab's mother Zeruiah.)
26 Isra'el and Avshalom pitched camp in the land of Gil'ad.
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The Israelites and Absalom camped in the region of Gilead.
27 After David had arrived in Machanayim, Shovi the son of Nachash, from Rabbah of the people of 'Amon; Machir the son of 'Ammi'el from Lo-D'var and Barzillai the Gil'adi from Roglim
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When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi, son of Nahash from Rabbah in Ammon, and Machir, son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai from Rogelim in Gilead
28 brought beds, basins, clay pots, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted millet,
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brought [supplies] and food for David and his troops: bedding, bowls, pots, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,
29 honey, curdled milk, sheep and cheese made of cow's milk for David and the people with him to eat; because they said, "These people are hungry, tired and thirsty from the desert."
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honey, buttermilk, sheep, and calves. They brought these things because they thought, "The troops in the desert are hungry, exhausted, and thirsty."
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.