2 Samuel 17:1-8

The Counsel of Ahithophel and Hushai

17¹ And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, 'Let me choose, I pray thee, twelve thousand men, and I arise and pursue after David to-night, ² and come upon him, and he weary and feeble-handed, and I have caused him to tremble, and all the people have fled who 'are' with him, and I have smitten the king by himself, ³ and I bring back all the people unto thee—as the turning back of the whole 'is' the man whom thou art seeking—all the people are peace. ⁴ And the thing is right in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. ⁵ And Absalom saith, 'Call, I pray thee, also for Hushai the Archite, and we hear what 'is' in his mouth—even he.' ⁶ And Hushai cometh in unto Absalom, and Absalom speaketh unto him, saying, 'According to this word hath Ahithophel spoken; do we do his word? if not, thou—speak thou.' ⁷ And Hushai saith unto Absalom, 'Not good 'is' the counsel that Ahithophel hath counselled at this time.' ⁸ And Hushai saith, 'Thou hast known thy father and his men, that they 'are' heroes, and they are bitter in soul as a bereaved bear in a field, and thy father 'is' a man of war, and doth not lodge with the people;