Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



And, unto David, it was told, saying, Ahithophel, is among the conspirators with Absolom. And David said, Turn to foolishness, I pray thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.

but, if, to the city, thou return, then canst thou say unto Absolom - Thy servant, I, O king, will be, as, the servant of thy father, I was formerly, so will I, now, be thy servant: thus shalt thou frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

And, Absolom and all the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, - and Ahithophel with him.

Then said Absolom unto Ahithophel, - Give ye your counsel, what we shall do. And Ahithophel said unto Absolom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, whom he hath left to keep the house, - so shall all Israel hear that thou hast made thyself odious unto thy father, and the hands of all that are with thee, shall be strengthened. And they stretched out for Absolom a tent, upon the house-top, - and Absolom went in unto his father's concubines, in the sight of all Israel. read more.
Now, the counsel of Ahithophel which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God, - so, was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both to David, and also to Absolom.

Then said Ahithophel unto Absolom: I pray thee, let me choose for myself, twelve thousand men, and arise, and pursue David to-night; and let me come upon him, when, he, is weary, and weak-handed, so shall I strike him with terror, and all the people who are with him shall flee, - then will I smite the king alone: that I may bring back all the people unto thee, - when all return - save the man whom thou art seeking, all the people, will be at peace. read more.
And the saying was right in the eyes of Absolom, - and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. Then said Absolom, I pray you, call ye Hushai the Archite also, - and let us hear what is in, his, mouth, also. And, when Hushai came in unto Absolom, Absolom spake unto him, saying - After this manner, hath Ahithophel spoken, shall we do what he saith? if not, thou, speak. Then said Hushai unto Absolom, - Not good, is the counsel that Ahithophel hath given - at this time. And Hushai said - Thou, knowest thy father and his men - that, men of might, they are, and, embittered in soul, they are, like a bear bereaved of her young, in the field, - thy father also, is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. Lo! by this time, hath, he, hidden himself in some pit, or other place, - and it shall be, as soon as he falleth upon them at the first, that he that hearkeneth for tidings will hear of it , and will say - There is a defeat among the people that are following Absolom: then will, even the son of valour himself, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, utterly melt, - for all Israel do know that, a man of might, is thy father, and that, sons of valour, are they who are with him. Therefore I counsel - that there be a general gathering together unto thee of all Israel, from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, - and that, thine own presence, be going on in their midst. So shall we come upon him in some place where he hath been found, yea, we, shall be upon him, as when the dew falleth upon the ground, - and there shall not be left of him, or of the men that are with him, so much as one. But, if, into a city, he withdraw, then will all Israel bring up unto that city, ropes, - and we will drag it down unto the ravine, until there be not found in that place, so much as a small stone. Then said Absolom and all the men of Israel, Better, is the counsel of Hushai the Archite, than the counsel of Ahithophel. Yahweh, indeed, had given charge to frustrate the wise counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring upon Absolom, ruin. So Hushai said unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus, did Ahithophel counsel Absolom and the elders of Israel, - and, thus and thus, have, I, counselled. Now, therefore, send quickly, and tell David, saying, - Do not lodge to-night in the waste plains of the wilderness, thou must, even pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him. Now, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were staying by En-rogel, and a maidservant was to go and tell them, and, they, were to go and tell King David, - for they might not be seen to eater the city. And, though a young man did see them, and told Absolom, yet they both departed quickly, and entered the house of a man in Bahurim, and, he, had a well in his court, into which they went down; and the woman took and spread the cover over the face of the well, and spread thereon her pounded corn, - so nothing was known. Then came the servants of Absolom unto the woman in the house, and said - Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them - They have passed over the stream of water. And, when they had searched and not found, they returned to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, after those had gone, that these came up out of the well, and went, and told King David, - and said unto David, - Arise ye and pass quickly over the water, for, thus and thus, hath Ahithophel counselled against you. So David arose, and all the people who were with him, and passed over the Jordan, by the morning light, so much as one, was not lacking, who had not passed over the Jordan. Now, when, Ahithophel, saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose and went unto his own house, unto his own city, and gave charge unto his household, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the grave of his father.


Then came one bearing tidings unto David, saying, - It hath come about, that the heart of the men of Israel goeth after Absolom. Then said David, to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem - Arise and let us flee, or we shall have no way of escape from the face of Absolom, - make speed to depart, lest he make speed, and so overtake us, and bring down misfortune upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. And the king's servants said unto the king, - According to all that my lord the king shall choose, here are thy servants. read more.
So the king went forth, with all his household attending him, - but the king left ten women who were concubines, to keep the house. Thus then the king went forth, with all the people attending him, - and they came to a stand at a place that was far off. And, all his servants, were passing on beside him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, - and, all the Gittites - six hundred men, who had accompanied him from Gath, - were passing on before the king. Then said the king, unto Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore shouldest, thou also, go with us? return and abide with the king, for, a stranger, art thou, moreover also, an exile, art thou from thine own country. Only yesterday, camest thou, and, today, shall I let thee wander with us, on our journey, seeing that, I, am going, whithersoever I may? Return and take back thy brethren with thee, and may Yahweh deal with thee in lovingkindness and faithfulness. But Ittai answered the king, and said, - By the life of Yahweh, and by the life of my lord the king, surely, in whatsoever place, my lord the king, may be, whether for death or for life, there will, thy servant, be. Then said David unto Ittai - Go, and pass on. So Ittai the Gittite passed on, with all his men, and all the little ones that were with him. And, fall the land, was weeping, with a loud voice, and, all the people, were passing on, - the king also, was passing on, through the torrent-bed of Kidron, and all the people were passing on over the face of the way leading to the wilderness. And lo! Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, were bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up, until all the people had made an end of passing over out of the city. Then said the king unto Zadok, Take back the ark of God into the city, - if I find favour in the eyes of Yahweh, then will he bring me back, and let me see both him and his habitation, but, if thus, he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do unto me as may be good in his eyes. And the king said, unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not, a seer? return into the city, in peace, - and Ahimaaz thine own son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar - your two sons, with you. See! I, am tarrying in the waste plains of the wilderness - until there come word from you, to tell me. So Zadok and Abiathar took back the ark of God to Jerusalem, - and abode there. Now, David, was going up by the ascent of Olivet, weeping as he went up, with his head covered, himself, passing on barefoot, - and all the people who were with him, covered every man his head, and went up, weeping as they went. And, unto David, it was told, saying, Ahithophel, is among the conspirators with Absolom. And David said, Turn to foolishness, I pray thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh. And it came to pass, when David reached the summit, where he bowed himself down unto God, that lo! there met him, Hushai the Archite, his tunic rent, and earth upon his head. And David said unto him, - If thou pass over with me, then shalt thou become unto me, a burden; but, if, to the city, thou return, then canst thou say unto Absolom - Thy servant, I, O king, will be, as, the servant of thy father, I was formerly, so will I, now, be thy servant: thus shalt thou frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel. And hast thou not, with thee, there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so then it shall be, that, what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the house of the king, thou shalt tell to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests. Lo! they have there with them, their two sons, Ahimaaz for Zadok, and Jonathan for Abiathar, - so shall ye send, by their hand, unto me, everything which ye shall hear. So Hushai, David's friend, went into the city, - when, Absolom, was about to enter Jerusalem.


And lo! Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, were bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up, until all the people had made an end of passing over out of the city. Then said the king unto Zadok, Take back the ark of God into the city, - if I find favour in the eyes of Yahweh, then will he bring me back, and let me see both him and his habitation, but, if thus, he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do unto me as may be good in his eyes. read more.
And the king said, unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not, a seer? return into the city, in peace, - and Ahimaaz thine own son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar - your two sons, with you. See! I, am tarrying in the waste plains of the wilderness - until there come word from you, to tell me. So Zadok and Abiathar took back the ark of God to Jerusalem, - and abode there. Now, David, was going up by the ascent of Olivet, weeping as he went up, with his head covered, himself, passing on barefoot, - and all the people who were with him, covered every man his head, and went up, weeping as they went. And, unto David, it was told, saying, Ahithophel, is among the conspirators with Absolom. And David said, Turn to foolishness, I pray thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh. And it came to pass, when David reached the summit, where he bowed himself down unto God, that lo! there met him, Hushai the Archite, his tunic rent, and earth upon his head. And David said unto him, - If thou pass over with me, then shalt thou become unto me, a burden; but, if, to the city, thou return, then canst thou say unto Absolom - Thy servant, I, O king, will be, as, the servant of thy father, I was formerly, so will I, now, be thy servant: thus shalt thou frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel. And hast thou not, with thee, there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so then it shall be, that, what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the house of the king, thou shalt tell to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests. Lo! they have there with them, their two sons, Ahimaaz for Zadok, and Jonathan for Abiathar, - so shall ye send, by their hand, unto me, everything which ye shall hear.

So Hushai said unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus, did Ahithophel counsel Absolom and the elders of Israel, - and, thus and thus, have, I, counselled.

Now, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were staying by En-rogel, and a maidservant was to go and tell them, and, they, were to go and tell King David, - for they might not be seen to eater the city. And, though a young man did see them, and told Absolom, yet they both departed quickly, and entered the house of a man in Bahurim, and, he, had a well in his court, into which they went down; and the woman took and spread the cover over the face of the well, and spread thereon her pounded corn, - so nothing was known. read more.
Then came the servants of Absolom unto the woman in the house, and said - Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them - They have passed over the stream of water. And, when they had searched and not found, they returned to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, after those had gone, that these came up out of the well, and went, and told King David, - and said unto David, - Arise ye and pass quickly over the water, for, thus and thus, hath Ahithophel counselled against you.