2 Samuel 16:15-23 - Hushai Comes To Absalom

¹⁵ Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel [was] with him. ¹⁶ When Hushai the Arkite the friend of David came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, "[Long] live the king, [long] live the king!"

¹⁷ Absalom said to Hushai, "This [is] your loyal love with your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?"

¹⁸ Then Hushai said to Absalom, "No, rather, whom Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, to him I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹ {Furthermore}, for whom have I served? [Is] it not in the presence of his son that I have served before your father? {So shall I serve you}!"

²⁰ Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your advice. What shall we do?"

²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go to the concubines of your father whom he left behind to watch over the house, then all of Israel will hear that you made yourself odious to your father, and {all of your followers will be motivated}!" ²² Then they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he went [in] to the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel.

²³ The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days [was] regarded as when a man inquired of the word of God, so all the counsel of Ahithophel [was esteemed] both by David and by Absalom.