Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
War » Counsels of
Where no good counsel is, there the people decay; but whereas are many that can give counsel, there is wealth.
Through counsel the things that men devise go forward; and with discretion ought wars to be taken in hand.
Then spake Absalom to Ahithophel, "Give counsel what is best for us to do."
Then Ahithophel said unto Absalom, "Let me choose out, I pray thee, twelve thousand men. And I will up and follow after David by night. And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will fear him, that all the people that are with him shall flee. And so will I smite the king only, and will bring again all the people unto thee. And when all these men which thou seekest are turned to thee, all the people shall have rest." read more.
And the saying pleased Absalom well and all the elders of Israel. Then said Absalom, "Call also Hushai the Archite and let us hear his sentence." When Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him saying, "Ahithophel hath given such counsel: whether it be best we do after his saying, or not, tell thou." Then said Hushai to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time. For," said Hushai, "thou knowest thy father and the men that are with him, how that they be strong men. And they be chafed in their minds, even as a bear robbed of her whelps. And thy father is a man practiced in war, and will not lie a nights among the common people. Behold, he lurketh now in some cave or in some other place. And thereto, though some of his men be overthrown at the first brunt, yet they that hear it will think the people that followeth Absalom be put to the worse. By the reason whereof, the best men thou hast whose hearts are as the hearts of lions, shall shrink thereat. For all Israel knoweth that thy father is a man, and that they which be with him be children of activity. But my counsel is, that all Israel be gathered unto thee, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand of the sea in number, and that thou go to battle in thine own person. And we will come upon him in one place or other, where we shalt find him, and we will pitch a field against him, even as thick as the dew falleth on the ground. And there shall not one of them be left, neither he nor any of all that are with him. Moreover, if he take a town then shall all the men of Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one stone found upon another." And Absalom and all the men of Israel said that the counsel of Hushai the Archite was better than the counsel of Ahithophel - For it was even the LORD's determination to destroy the counsel of Ahithophel, which was good, that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. Then said Hushai unto Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Of this and that manner did Ahithophel and the elders of Israel counsel Absalom. And thus and thus have I counseled.
And the saying pleased Absalom well and all the elders of Israel. Then said Absalom, "Call also Hushai the Archite and let us hear his sentence." When Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him saying, "Ahithophel hath given such counsel: whether it be best we do after his saying, or not, tell thou." Then said Hushai to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time. For," said Hushai, "thou knowest thy father and the men that are with him, how that they be strong men. And they be chafed in their minds, even as a bear robbed of her whelps. And thy father is a man practiced in war, and will not lie a nights among the common people. Behold, he lurketh now in some cave or in some other place. And thereto, though some of his men be overthrown at the first brunt, yet they that hear it will think the people that followeth Absalom be put to the worse. By the reason whereof, the best men thou hast whose hearts are as the hearts of lions, shall shrink thereat. For all Israel knoweth that thy father is a man, and that they which be with him be children of activity. But my counsel is, that all Israel be gathered unto thee, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand of the sea in number, and that thou go to battle in thine own person. And we will come upon him in one place or other, where we shalt find him, and we will pitch a field against him, even as thick as the dew falleth on the ground. And there shall not one of them be left, neither he nor any of all that are with him. Moreover, if he take a town then shall all the men of Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one stone found upon another." And Absalom and all the men of Israel said that the counsel of Hushai the Archite was better than the counsel of Ahithophel - For it was even the LORD's determination to destroy the counsel of Ahithophel, which was good, that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. Then said Hushai unto Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Of this and that manner did Ahithophel and the elders of Israel counsel Absalom. And thus and thus have I counseled.
And when they came unto the coasts of Jordan that lie in the land of Canaan: there the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, built an altar fast by Jordan, and that a great altar to see to. And when the children of Israel heard say, "Behold the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan in the borders of Jordan on the side of the children of Israel": the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered them together to Shiloh, to go upon them with battle. read more.
And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Ruben, to the children of Gad and unto the half tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten lords of every chief house a lord throughout all the tribes of Israel, which heads of their fathers' households were over the thousands of Israel. And they went unto the children of Reuben, of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead and spake with them, saying, "Thus say the whole congregation of the LORD: 'What transgression is this that ye have transgressed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from after the LORD and to build you an altar for to rebel this day against the LORD? Is the wicked deed of Peor too little for us, whereof we are not cleansed unto this day, and there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD? But that ye also should turn away this day from following the LORD: ye shall rebel today against the LORD, and tomorrow he shall be wroth with all the congregation. Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then come over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD's tabernacle dwelleth, and be possessed among us. But rebel not against the LORD nor against us, to build you any other altar save the altar of the LORD our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerah trespass in the excommunicate things, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel, so that he alone perished not for his wickedness?'" Then the children of Reuben and of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads over the thousands of Israel, "The mighty God Jehovah, he knoweth, and Israel shall know if; it be to rebel or transgress against the LORD, then the LORD save us not this day. Or else if we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offerings, or to offer peace offerings thereon: let the LORD require it. And have not rather done it for fear of this: lest in time to come your children should say unto ours, 'What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?' Saying, 'That the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have no part therefore in the LORD.' And so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. And therefore we said, 'Let us cause an altar to be made, not for burnt offerings, nor sacrifices, but it shall be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we should serve the LORD, with our offerings, sacrifices and peace offerings: and that your children should not say to ours in time to come: ye have no part in the LORD.' And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our generations in time to come, that we would say again, 'Behold the fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness between us and you.' God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle." And when Phinehas the priest and the lords of the congregation and heads over the thousands of Israel, which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, they were well content. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and of Manasseh, "This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not done this trespass against the LORD. Now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD." And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the lords returned from the children of Reuben and of Gad out of the land of Gilead unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. And the answer pleased the children of Israel well, and they praised God, and did not intend to go against them in battle, to destroy the land which the children of Ruben and Gad dwelt in. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, because it is a witness between us, that the LORD is God.
And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Ruben, to the children of Gad and unto the half tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten lords of every chief house a lord throughout all the tribes of Israel, which heads of their fathers' households were over the thousands of Israel. And they went unto the children of Reuben, of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead and spake with them, saying, "Thus say the whole congregation of the LORD: 'What transgression is this that ye have transgressed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from after the LORD and to build you an altar for to rebel this day against the LORD? Is the wicked deed of Peor too little for us, whereof we are not cleansed unto this day, and there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD? But that ye also should turn away this day from following the LORD: ye shall rebel today against the LORD, and tomorrow he shall be wroth with all the congregation. Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then come over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD's tabernacle dwelleth, and be possessed among us. But rebel not against the LORD nor against us, to build you any other altar save the altar of the LORD our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerah trespass in the excommunicate things, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel, so that he alone perished not for his wickedness?'" Then the children of Reuben and of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads over the thousands of Israel, "The mighty God Jehovah, he knoweth, and Israel shall know if; it be to rebel or transgress against the LORD, then the LORD save us not this day. Or else if we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offerings, or to offer peace offerings thereon: let the LORD require it. And have not rather done it for fear of this: lest in time to come your children should say unto ours, 'What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?' Saying, 'That the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have no part therefore in the LORD.' And so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. And therefore we said, 'Let us cause an altar to be made, not for burnt offerings, nor sacrifices, but it shall be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we should serve the LORD, with our offerings, sacrifices and peace offerings: and that your children should not say to ours in time to come: ye have no part in the LORD.' And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our generations in time to come, that we would say again, 'Behold the fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness between us and you.' God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle." And when Phinehas the priest and the lords of the congregation and heads over the thousands of Israel, which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, they were well content. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and of Manasseh, "This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not done this trespass against the LORD. Now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD." And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the lords returned from the children of Reuben and of Gad out of the land of Gilead unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. And the answer pleased the children of Israel well, and they praised God, and did not intend to go against them in battle, to destroy the land which the children of Ruben and Gad dwelt in. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, because it is a witness between us, that the LORD is God.
But if thou fear to go down, then go thou down unto the host, and Phurah thy lad, and hearken what they say, and so shall thine hands be strong, and then thou shalt go down unto the host." Then he went down with Phurah his lad, even hard unto the men of arms that were in the host.
For lo, the kings of the earth were gathered, and gone by together. They marveled, to see such things: they were astonished, and suddenly cast down. Fear came there upon them, and sorrow as upon a woman in her travail. read more.
Thou shalt break the ships of the sea, through the east wind.
Thou shalt break the ships of the sea, through the east wind.