2 Samuel 15:30-17:23

New Catholic Bible

³⁰ David then ascended to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot. All the people with him also covered their heads and wept as they went. ³¹ When it was revealed to David that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom, he said: “O Lord, I beg you to turn the counsel of Ahithophel into folly.”

³² David and Hushai. When David arrived at the summit where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came forth to meet him with his tunic torn and with dirt upon his head. ³³ David said to him: “If you come with me, you will only be a burden to me. ³⁴ However, if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, O king. As I was formerly your father’s servant, now I will be your servant,’ you will make it possible for me to frustrate the advice of Ahithophel.

³⁵ “The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. Report to them everything that you hear in the royal palace. ³⁶ Their two sons are there with them: Zadok’s son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. Through them you shall send word to me of everything you hear.”

³⁷ So David’s friend Hushai came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

Chapter 16

David and Ziba. ¹ When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, he was met by Ziba, the servant of Meribbaal. Ziba had with him a pair of saddled donkeys laden with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred bunches of summer fruits, and one skin of wine. ² The king said to Ziba: “What are you planning to do with these?” Ziba replied: “The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on, the bread and the fruit are for the soldiers to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who fall exhausted in the desert.”

³ The king then asked: “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba replied: “He is staying in Jerusalem, for he said: ‘Today the house of Israel will restore to me my father’s kingdom.’ ” ⁴ Therefore, the king said to Ziba: “Everything that belonged to Meribbaal is yours.” Then Ziba replied: “I humbly pay you homage, my lord the king. May I always be considered to be worthy of being granted your favor.”

David and Shimei. ⁵ As King David was nearing Horonaim, he was approached by a man of the family of Saul. His name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and he was cursing as he drew near. ⁶ He threw stones at David and his servants, as well as at all the people and the soldiers on his right and on his left.

⁷ As he cursed, Shimei shouted: “Get out, get out, you murderous scoundrel! ⁸ The Lord has repaid all of you for the blood of the house of Saul whose sovereignty you have stolen, and the Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. Now your wickedness has caught up with you, for you are a man of blood.”

⁹ Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king: “Why should this dead dog be allowed to curse my lord the king? Let me go over and behead him.” ¹⁰ However, the king said: “What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord told him: ‘Curse David,’ who will then dare to say: ‘Why have you done so?’ ”

¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and all his servants: “If my own son who was conceived from my loins is now seeking my life, how much more understandable is it that this Benjaminite is prepared to do so! Let him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has instructed him to do so. ¹² Perhaps the Lord will look upon my wretched condition and grant me a blessing to repay me for the curses that I have been forced to endure this day.”

¹³ Therefore, David and his men resumed their journey, while Shimei kept abreast of him on the opposite hillside, cursing as he went and throwing stones and flinging dust at him. ¹⁴ When the king and all the people with him reached the Jordan, they stopped there to rest, for they were exhausted.

¹⁵ Absalom’s Counselors.^[a] Meanwhile Absalom and all of the Israelites entered Jerusalem, and accompanying him was Ahithophel. ¹⁶ Then Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, approached Absalom and said to him: “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷ Then Absalom asked Hushai: “Is this the way you show loyalty to your friend?” ¹⁸ Hushai replied to Absalom: “I intend to follow the man whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, and I will remain with him. ¹⁹ Besides, whom should I serve if not his son? Just as I served your father, so will I serve you.”

²⁰ Then Absalom said to Ahithophel: “Give us your counsel on what you think we should do.” ²¹ Ahithophel replied to Absalom: “Go to your father’s concubines whom he left behind to take care of the palace and have relations with them. As a result, all Israel will hear that you have greatly antagonized your father, and the courage of all your supporters will be strengthened.” ²² Therefore, a tent was pitched for Absalom upon the roof, and in the sight of all Israel Absalom lay with his father’s concubines.

²³ Counsel of Ahithophel. Now in those days the counsel offered by Ahithophel was regarded as counsel presented by God himself. And that was how the counsel of Ahithophel was regarded by both David and Absalom.

Chapter 17

¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom: “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set forth in pursuit of David this very night. ² I plan to overtake him when he is weary and discouraged and to throw him into a panic. Then, when all the people who are with him flee, I will strike down only the king. ³ After that, I will bring all the people back to you, like a bride returning to her husband. You are seeking the death of only one man. The rest of the people will be unharmed.” ⁴ Absalom and all the elders of Israel found this plan to be satisfactory.

Counsel of Hushai. ⁵ Then Absalom said: “Now also summon Hushai the Archite, and let us hear what he has to say.” ⁶ When Hushai arrived, Absalom said to him: “This is what Ahithophel suggested. Shall we do as he advises? If not, give us your ideas in this regard.”

⁷ Hushai replied to Absalom: “On this particular occasion Ahithophel has not offered good advice.” ⁸ Then he went on to say: “You well know that your father and his men are warriors and that they are as fierce as a bear in the wilderness who has been robbed of her cubs. In addition, your father is unsurpassed in devising strategy, and he will not spend the night with the troops.

⁹ “You can be certain that even now he has concealed himself in a cave or some other place. And if some of our troops should be slain during the first attack, the word will quickly spread that the followers of Absalom have been slaughtered. ¹⁰ Then even the most valiant of our warriors, with courage like that of a lion, will shrink away in fear. For all Israel well knows that your father is a warrior and that those who serve with him are brave.

¹¹ “This is the advice that I offer to you. Summon all Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, to be gathered in support of you, and be at their side as they march into battle. ¹² When we catch up with him, wherever he may be found, we shall then attack him and descend upon him as the dew falls upon the ground. He will not survive, nor will any of those with him. ¹³ And if he should withdraw into a town, all Israel shall bring ropes into that town, and we shall drag it down into a gorge so that not even a single remnant of it can be found there.”

¹⁴ Then Absalom and all the Israelites declared: “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is superior to that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had determined to frustrate the shrewd advice of Ahithophel and thereby bring disaster on Absalom.

¹⁵ David Told of the Plan. Then Hushai said to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “This is the counsel that Ahithophel gave to Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I advised. ¹⁶ Therefore, send a warning to David without delay and tell him: ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the desert, but cross over as quickly as you can. Otherwise the king and all the people with him may be annihilated.’ ”

¹⁷ Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A servant girl used to go there and report to them what was happening, and then they would go and inform King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. ¹⁸ However, a young lad saw them and informed Absalom. Therefore, the two of them ran off quickly and went to the house of a man in Horonaim. He had a cistern in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.

¹⁹ The man’s wife then took a covering, stretched it out over the cistern, and strewed crushed grain on it so that nothing would be noticed. ²⁰ When the servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house, they asked: “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman replied: “They went by here a short while ago and went toward the water.” They continued their pursuit, but when they found no sight of them, they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹ After they had departed, the two men climbed out of the cistern and went to warn King David. “Leave immediately and cross the water quickly,” they said, as they related to him how Ahithophel had decided to proceed against him. ²² Therefore, David and all of the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By dawn there was not a single one left who had not crossed to the opposite bank of the Jordan.

²³ When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and departed straight home to his own town. Then, having left detailed instructions to ensure the well-being of his family, he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father’s tomb.