1Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would17:1 Or Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. 2I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king 3and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.” 4This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.
5But Absalom said, “Summon also Hushai the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say as well.” 6When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, “Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says? If not, give us your opinion.”
7Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time. 8You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Besides, your father is an experienced fighter; he will not spend the night with the troops. 9Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place. If he should attack your troops first,17:9 Or When some of the men fall at the first attack whoever hears about it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’ 10Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave.
11“So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba—as numerous as the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle. 12Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. 13If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not so much as a pebble is left.”
14Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.
15Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so. 16Now send a message at once and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the wilderness; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’ ”
17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel. A female servant was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. 18But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left at once and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it.
20When Absalom’s men came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
The woman answered them, “They crossed over the brook.”17:20 Or “They passed by the sheep pen toward the water.” The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem.
21After they had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said to him, “Set out and cross the river at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you.” 22So David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.
23When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
Absalom’s Death
24David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether,17:25 Hebrew Ithra, a variant of Jether an Ishmaelite17:25 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 2:17); Hebrew and other Septuagint manuscripts Israelite who had married Abigail,17:25 Hebrew Abigal, a variant of Abigail the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab. 26The Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.
27When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim 28brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils,17:28 Most Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew lentils, and roasted grain 29honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.”
1Ahitofele anati kwa Abisalomu, “Mundilole ndisankhe asilikali 12,000, ndinyamuke usiku womwe uno kuti ndithamangire Davide. 2Ndipo ndikamuthira nkhondo atatopa ndiponso atataya mtima. Ndikamuchititsa mantha ndipo anthu onse amene ali naye akathawa. Ine ndikakantha mfumu yokhayo, 3ndipo anthu onse ndidzabwera nawo kwa inu, ngati mkwati amene akubwerera kwa mwamuna wake. Imfa ya munthu mmodzi yekha idzakhalitsa anthu onse pa mtendere.” 4Malangizo awa anaoneka abwino kwa Abisalomu ndi kwa akuluakulu onse a Israeli.
5Koma Abisalomu anati, “Muyitanenso Husai Mwariki kuti timve zimene iye adzanena.” 6Husai atabwera kwa iye, Abisalomu anati, “Ahitofele wapereka malangizo ake. Kodi tichite zimene wanena? Ngati sichoncho, tiwuze maganizo ako.”
7Husai anayankha Abisalomu kuti, “Malangizo amene Ahitofele wapereka si abwino pa nthawi ino. 8Inu mukudziwa bwino abambo anu ali ndi ankhondo awo. Iwo ndi anthu ankhondo komanso ndi woopsa ngati chimbalangondo chimene chalandidwa ana ake. Kuwonjezera apa abambo anu ndi katswiri wa nkhondo. Iwo sanagone pamodzi ndi asilikali awo. 9Onani, ngakhale tsopano lino abisala mʼphanga lina ku malo ena ake. Ngati iwo atayamba kuthira nkhondo asilikali anu, aliyense amene adzamve zimenezi adzati, ‘Gulu lalikulu lankhondo lotsatira Abisalomu laphedwa.’ 10Tsono ngakhale msilikali wolimba mtima kwambiri, amene mtima wake uli ngati wa mkango, adzagwidwa ndi mantha aakulu pakuti Aisraeli akudziwa kuti abambo anu ndi ankhondo ndipo kuti iwo amene ali nawo ndi anthu olimba mtima.
11“Kotero ine ndikukulangizani kuti: Aisraeli onse, kuchokera ku Dani mpaka ku Beeriseba; ochuluka ngati mchenga wa mʼmbali mwa nyanja, asonkhane kwa inu ndipo muwatsogolera kupita ku nkhondo. 12Ndipo ife tidzapita kukamuthira nkhondo kulikonse kumene tikamupeze, ndipo ife tikamuthira nkhondo ngati mame pa nthaka. Palibe amene adzakhale wamoyo kaya iye kapena ankhondo ake. 13Iye akakathawira mu mzinda, Aisraeli onse adzabweretsa zingwe ku mzindawo, ndipo ife tidzawugwetsera ku chigwa mpaka sipadzapezeka ngakhale kachidutswa.”
14Abisalomu ndi ankhondo ena onse a Israeli anati, “Malangizo a Husai Mwariki ndi abwino kuposa a Ahitofele.” Pakuti Yehova anatsimikiza kutsutsa malangizo onse abwino a Ahitofele ndi cholinga choti zimuvute Abisalomu.
15Husai anawuza ansembe Zadoki ndi Abiatara kuti, “Ahitofele analangiza Abisalomu ndi akuluakulu a Israeli zakuti, koma ine ndawalangiza kuchita zakutizakuti. 16Tsopano tumizani wamthenga msangamsanga kuti akamuwuze Davide kuti, ‘Musakagone powolokera Yorodani ku chipululu koma mukawoloke. Mukapanda kutero, mfumu ndi anthu onse amene ali naye adzaphedwa.’ ”
17Yonatani ndi Ahimaazi amakhala ku Eni Rogeli. Tsono wantchito wamkazi ndiye amapita kukawawuza ndipo iwo amayenera kupita kukamuwuza mfumu Davide, pakuti iwowo sankayenera kuonekera polowa mu mzinda. 18Koma mnyamata wina anawaona ndipo anakawuza Abisalomu. Kotero anthu awiriwo anachoka mofulumira ndipo anapita ku nyumba ya munthu wina ku Bahurimu. Iye anali ndi chitsime ku mpanda kwake ndipo iwo analowamo. 19Mkazi wake anatenga chophimba ndipo anachiyika pamwamba pa chitsimecho nawazapo tirigu. Palibe amene anadziwa chilichonse za izi.
20Anthu a Abisalomu atafika kwa mkaziyo pa nyumbapo anafunsa kuti, “Kodi Ahimaazi ndi Yonatani ali kuti?”
Mkaziyo anawayankha kuti, “Awoloka mtsinje.” Anthuwo anafunafuna koma sanapeze munthu, kotero anabwerera ku Yerusalemu.
21Anthu aja atapita, awiriwo anatuluka mʼchitsimemo ndipo anapita kukawuza mfumu Davide nati kwa iye, “Nyamukani, muwoloke mtsinje msangamsanga. Ahitofele wapereka malangizo akutiakuti kutsutsana nanu.” 22Kotero Davide ndi anthu onse amene anali nawo ananyamuka ndi kuwoloka Yorodani. Pofika mmamawa, panalibe munthu amene anatsala asanawoloke Yorodani!
23Ahitofele ataona kuti malangizo ake sanatsatidwe, iye anakwera bulu wake napita ku mzinda wa kwawo ku nyumba yake. Iye anakonza mʼnyumba mwakemo ndi kudzimangirira. Kotero anafa nayikidwa mʼmanda a abambo ake.
24Davide anapita ku Mahanaimu, ndipo Abisalomu anawoloka Yorodani pamodzi ndi ankhondo ena onse a Israeli. 25Abisalomu anasankha Amasa kukhala mkulu wa ankhondo mʼmalo mwa Yowabu. Amasa anali mwana wa munthu wotchedwa Itira Mwisraeli amene anakwatira Abigayeli mwana wa Nahasi mlongo wake wa Zeruya, amayi ake a Yowabu. 26Aisraeli ndi Abisalomu anamanga zithando mʼdziko la Giliyadi.
27Davide atafika ku Mahanaimu, Sobi mwana wa Nahasi wochokera ku Raba ku dziko la Amoni ndi Makiri mwana wa Amieli wochokera ku Lodebara, ndi Barizilai Mgiliyadi wochokera ku Rogelimu 28anabweretsa zofunda, mabeseni ndi miphika. Iwo anabweretsanso kwa Davide ndi anthu ake zakudya izi: tirigu ndi barele, ufa ndi tirigu wokazinga, nyemba ndi mphodza, 29uchi ndi chambiko, nkhosa ndi mafuta olimba a mkaka wangʼombe. Pakuti anati, “Anthuwa ali ndi njala ndipo atopa, alinso ndi ludzu muno mʼchipululu.”
