Hushajs list lykkes
1Derefter kom Ahitofel med følgende forslag: „Lad mig udvælge 12.000 mand og sætte efter David allerede i nat. 2-3Hvis jeg kan overrumple ham, mens han er træt og modløs, vil alle hans mænd blive grebet af panik og opgive kampen. Så kan jeg nøjes med at slå kongen ihjel, det er jo ham, du vil til livs, og føre hele hans hær uskadt tilbage til dig som en bortløben hustru føres tilbage til sin ægtemand.”
4Absalom og de israelitiske ledere syntes godt om Ahitofels forslag, 5men Absalom sagde: „Lad os lige få fat i Hushaj og spørge, hvad han mener om forslaget.”
6Da Hushaj ankom, forklarede Absalom ham Ahitofels plan og spurgte: „Hvad mener du? Skal vi følge Ahitofels forslag? Sig frem!”
7„Jeg er bange for, at Ahitofel tager fejl denne gang,” svarede Hushaj. 8„Du kender selv din far og hans mænd. De er dygtige krigere, der sandsynligvis er lige så rasende som en bjørn, der er blevet berøvet sine unger. Din far er en garvet kriger, der ikke sover blandt soldaterne. 9Det er mere sandsynligt, at han har gemt sig i en hule et eller andet sted. Når han så gør udfald, og nogle af dine mænd falder, kan der let gå panik i dem, så de begynder at råbe op om, at din hær er slået. 10Da er det ude med jer, for uanset om dine mænd er modige som løver, kan de godt blive lammet af frygt for din far. Hele Israel ved jo, hvor mange krige din far har vundet, og hvor tapre hans mænd er.
11Jeg vil derfor foreslå, at du mobiliserer alle Israels mænd lige fra Dan i nord til Be’ersheba i syd. Så får du en mægtig hær, og du skal selv gå i spidsen for den. 12Når vi så finder David, falder vi over hans hær, som når morgenduggen falder på jorden, og vi udsletter dem alle rub og stub. 13Hvis David skulle nå at flygte ind i en befæstet by, så har du hele Israels hær til din rådighed. Så slår vi et reb om byen og trækker den ned i dalen, så der ikke bliver sten på sten tilbage.”
14Da udbrød Absalom og alle hans rådgivere: „Hushajs råd er endnu bedre end Ahitofels!” Herren havde nemlig sørget for at forpurre Ahitofels udmærkede råd for at føre Absalom i ulykke.
15Hushaj fortalte derefter præsterne Zadok og Ebjatar om de to forslag. 16„Skynd jer at sende bud til David om, at han i nat skal krydse vadestedet ved Jordanfloden og flygte ud i ørkenen. Ellers er det ude med ham og hans mænd.”
17De to præstesønner, Jonatan og Ahima’atz, plejede at holde sig skjult ved Rogelkilden uden for Jerusalem, da de ikke turde lade sig se i byen. De blev holdt løbende underrettet af en slavepige, som hentede vand fra kilden, så de hurtigt kunne bringe oplysningerne videre til kong David.
18Men da de modtog Hushajs besked, blev de opdaget af en dreng, netop som de begav sig på vej fra Rogelkilden, væk fra Jerusalem, og drengen fortalte Absalom om dem. Jonatan og Ahima’atz var klar over, at de var opdaget, så da de kom til den næste by, Bahurim, søgte de efter et skjulested og en mand gav dem lov til at kravle ned i en tom brønd. 19Hans kone bredte et tæppe ud over brøndens munding og spredte korn ud over tæppet, som om det lå til tørre, så ingen fik mistanke om noget.
20Absaloms mænd sporede de unge mænd til huset i Bahurim og spurgte konen, om hun havde set noget til Ahima’atz og Jonatan. Hun fortalte, at de to unge mænd allerede var gået videre over på den anden side af bækken. Mændene ledte så efter dem i den retning, men forgæves, og de måtte vende tilbage til Jerusalem med uforrettet sag. 21Da Absaloms mænd var borte, kravlede Ahima’atz og Jonatan op af brønden og skyndte sig videre til kong David. „Skynd dig at krydse Jordanfloden allerede i nat!” sagde de og fortalte ham om Ahitofels plan. 22Samme nat gik David over floden sammen med hele sit følge, og da morgenen gryede, var de alle kommet over.
23Men Ahitofel var dybt krænket over, at Absalom ikke havde fulgt hans råd. Han sadlede sit æsel og red hjem til sin egen by, hvor han overdrog sin ejendom til sine børn og derefter hængte sig selv. Han blev begravet ved siden af sin far.
David finder tilflugt i Mahanajim
24-26David og hans følge fortsatte flugten og ankom til Mahanajim.
I mellemtiden mobiliserede Absalom hele Israels hær. Han udpegede Amasa til hærfører efter Joab (han var i øvrigt fætter til Joab, for hans mor Abigajil, der var en datter af Isaj, var søster til Joabs mor Zeruja. Hans far var en ishmaelit ved navn Jeter.17,24-26 Der har åbenbart indsneget sig nogle fejl i den masoretiske tekst her, jf. 1.Krøn. 2,13-17. Ved kopieringen er Nahash muligvis kommet ind fra vers 27 i stedet for Isaj, ishmaelit er blevet til israelit og Jeter er blevet til Jitra.) Absalom og hæren krydsede Jordanfloden og slog lejr i Gileads land, ikke langt fra Mahanajim.
27I Mahanajim var David blevet godt modtaget af Shobi (en søn af ammonitten Nahash fra Rabba), Makir (en søn af Ammiel fra Lodebar) og Barzillaj (en gileadit fra Rogelim). 28-29Disse mænd bragte David og hans følge måtter til at sove på, baljer og skåle, hvede- og bygmel, ristet korn, bønner, linser, honning, surmælk, får, geder og hytteost. David og hans mænd var naturligvis både trætte, sultne og tørstige efter den lange rejse gennem ødemarken.
1Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 2And 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: 3And 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. 4And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.17.4 pleased…: Heb. was right in the eyes of, etc 5Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.17.5 what…: Heb. what is in his mouth 6And 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.17.6 his saying: Heb. his word 7And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.17.7 given: Heb. counselled 8For, said Hushai, 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.17.8 chafed…: Heb. bitter of soul 9Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.17.9 overthrown: Heb. fallen 10And he also 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. 11Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered 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.17.11 that thou…: Heb. that thy face, or, presence go, etc 12So 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 there shall not be left so much as one. 13Moreover, 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. 14And 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 appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.17.14 appointed: Heb. commanded
15¶ Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. 16Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him. 17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David. 18Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man’s house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down. 19And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known. 20And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 21And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
22Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.
23¶ And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.17.23 followed: Heb. done17.23 put his…: Heb. gave charge concerning his house 24Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
25¶ And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man’s son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab’s mother.17.25 Ithra an Israelite: or, Jether an Ishmaelite17.25 Abigail: Heb. Abigal17.25 Nahash: or, Jesse 26So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.
27¶ And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, 28Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,17.28 basons: or, cups 29And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
