亞希多弗計謀落空
1亞希多弗對押沙龍說：「讓我挑選一萬二千人，今夜啟程追趕大衛， 2趁他疲憊無力的時候襲擊他，使他驚慌失措，他的部下必逃命。我只把王一個人殺掉， 3把他的部下全都帶來歸順你。你尋索的人既然死了，跟隨他的人必然會歸順你。這樣，大家就平安無事了。」 4押沙龍和以色列的長老都贊成這個提議。
5押沙龍說：「召亞基人戶篩進來，我們也聽聽他的意見。」 6戶篩來了，押沙龍就把亞希多弗的建議告訴他，問他：「我們應該照亞希多弗的提議去做嗎？如果不可行，說說你的看法吧。」 7戶篩答道：「亞希多弗這次的主意不好！ 8你知道你父親和他的部下，他們都是勇士，現在他們就像丟了熊崽的母熊一樣兇猛。況且你父親是個身經百戰的人，他一定不會跟部下睡在一處。 9他現在可能藏在山洞或某個地方。要是他襲擊我們的人馬，聽見的人會說押沙龍的軍隊慘敗了。 10那時候，你手下的人再膽量過人，也會膽戰心驚。因為全以色列都知道你父親是英雄，他的部下都是勇士。 11因此，我認為你應該把從但到別示巴的那多如海沙的以色列人都聚集起來，然後你親自率領他們出征。 12這樣不管在哪裡找到大衛，我們就像露水一樣鋪天蓋地襲擊他，讓他全軍覆沒。 13如果大衛退進一座城裡，我們以色列全軍就拿繩索把那城拉到河谷，連一塊石頭都不留。」
14押沙龍和以色列眾人都說：「亞基人戶篩的主意比亞希多弗的好！」其實是耶和華決定破壞亞希多弗的巧計，好把災禍降在押沙龍身上。
15戶篩把亞希多弗和自己為押沙龍及以色列長老所提的建議告訴祭司撒督和亞比亞他， 16並說：「你們現在快派人去通知大衛，告訴他今晚不可在曠野的渡口過夜，務必要渡過約旦河，免得他和部下全軍覆沒。」
17當時，約拿單和亞希瑪斯躲在隱·羅結，不敢進城，怕被人看見。有一個婢女從城中出來給他們報信，他們便去通知大衛王。 18不料，有一個少年發現了他們，就去告訴押沙龍。他們二人急忙逃走，來到巴戶琳的一戶人家，藏到那家院子裡的一口井內， 19那家的婦人用蓋子蓋上井口，然後在上面撒了一些麥子，沒有人知道這件事。 20押沙龍的部下來到婦人家查問約拿單和亞希瑪斯的下落，婦人說他們已經過河了。押沙龍的部下就去搜索，結果一無所獲，就返回耶路撒冷。 21押沙龍的部下離開後，約拿單和亞希瑪斯便從井裡爬出來，去向大衛王報信，把亞希多弗的計謀告訴他，請他趕快渡過約旦河。 22大衛王和部下就動身過約旦河，在黎明之前，所有的人都過去了。
23亞希多弗見自己的提議不被接納，便備上驢，啟程回鄉，安頓好家事以後，就自縊身亡了。他被安葬在他父親的墓穴裡。
24大衛來到瑪哈念，押沙龍也率領以色列全軍渡過了約旦河。 25押沙龍任命亞瑪撒為元帥，代替約押的位置。亞瑪撒是以實瑪利人以特拉的兒子，母親是拿轄的女兒亞比該。亞比該與約押的母親洗魯雅是姊妹。 26押沙龍和以色列人在基列地區安營。
27大衛來到瑪哈念，受到亞捫族拉巴人拿轄的兒子朔比、羅·底巴人亞米利的兒子瑪吉和基列的羅基琳人巴西萊的熱情招待。 28他們帶來被褥、碗盆、瓦器、小麥、大麥、麵粉、炒麥、豆子、扁豆、 29蜂蜜、奶油、綿羊和乳酪，送給大衛和跟隨他的人，因為他們想：「眾人在曠野跋涉，一定饑渴疲乏了。」
1One day Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Here’s what I suggest. Choose 12,000 men. Start out tonight and go after David. 2Attack him while he’s tired and weak. Fill him with terror. Then all the people with him will run away. Don’t strike down anyone except the king. 3Bring all the other people back. After the man you want to kill is dead, everyone else will return to you. And none of the people will be harmed.” 4Ahithophel’s plan seemed good to Absalom. It also seemed good to all the elders of Israel.
5But Absalom said, “Send for Hushai, the Arkite. Then we can find out what he suggests as well.” 6Hushai came to him. Absalom said, “Ahithophel has given us his advice. Should we do what he says? If we shouldn’t, tell us what you would do.”
7Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given you isn’t good this time. 8You know your father and his men. They are fighters. They are as strong as a wild bear whose cubs have been stolen from her. Besides, your father really knows how to fight. He won’t spend the night with his troops. 9In fact, he’s probably hiding in a cave or some other place right now. Suppose he attacks your troops first. When people hear about it, they’ll say, ‘Many of the troops who followed Absalom have been killed.’ 10Then the hearts of your soldiers will melt away in fear. Even those as brave as a lion will be terrified. That’s because everyone in Israel knows that your father is a fighter. They know that those with him are brave.
11“So here’s what I suggest. Bring together all the men of Israel from the town of Dan all the way to Beersheba. They are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. You yourself should lead them into battle. 12Then we’ll attack David no matter where we find him. As dew completely covers the ground, we’ll completely overpower his entire army. We won’t leave him or any of his men alive. 13He might try to get away by going into a city. If he does, all of us will bring ropes to that city. We’ll drag the whole city down into the valley. Not even a pebble of that city will be left.”
14Absalom and all the men of Israel agreed. They said, “The advice of Hushai, the Arkite, is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” The Lord had decided that Ahithophel’s good advice would fail. The Lord wanted to bring horrible trouble on Absalom.
15Hushai spoke to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. He said, “Ahithophel has given advice to Absalom and the elders of Israel. He suggested that they should do one thing. But I suggested something else. 16Send a message right away. Tell David, ‘Don’t spend the night in the desert at a place where people cross the Jordan River. Make sure you go on across. If you don’t, you and all the people with you will be swallowed up.’ ”
17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel just outside Jerusalem. They knew they would be in danger if anyone saw them entering the city. A female servant was supposed to go and tell them what had happened. Then they were supposed to go and tell King David. 18But a young man saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom about it. So the two men left right away. They went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard. They climbed down into it. 19The man’s wife got a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well. Then she scattered grain on the covering. So no one knew that the men were hiding in the well.
20Absalom’s men came to the house. They asked the woman, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
She answered, “They went across the brook.” When the men looked around, they didn’t find anyone. So they returned to Jerusalem.
21After they had gone, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. They went to tell King David what they had found out. They said to him, “Go across the river right away. Ahithophel has told Absalom how to come after you and strike you down.” 22So David and all the people with him started out. They went across the Jordan River. By sunrise, everyone had crossed over.
23Ahithophel saw that his advice wasn’t being followed. So he put a saddle on his donkey. He started out for his house in his hometown. When he arrived, he made everything ready for his death. He made out his will. Then he killed himself. And so he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
Absalom Dies
24David went to Mahanaim. Absalom went across the Jordan River with all the men of Israel. 25Absalom had made Amasa commander of the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether. Jether belonged to the family line of Ishmael. He had married Abigail. She was the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Zeruiah. Zeruiah was the mother of Joab. 26Absalom and the Israelites camped in the land of Gilead.
27David came to Mahanaim. Shobi, the son of Nahash, met him there. Shobi was from Rabbah in the land of Ammon. Makir, the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, met him there too. So did Barzillai from Rogelim in the land of Gilead. 28They brought beds, bowls and clay pots. They brought wheat, barley, flour, and grain that had been cooked. They brought beans and lentils. 29They brought honey, butter, sheep, and cheese that was made from cows’ milk. They brought all that food for David and his people to eat. They said, “These people have become tired. They’ve become hungry and thirsty in the desert.”
