וַיֹּאמֶר אֲחִיתֹפֶל אֶל אַבְשָׁלֹם אֶבְחֲרָה נָּא שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אֶלֶף אִישׁ וְאָקוּמָה וְאֶרְדְּפָה אַחֲרֵי דָוִד הַלָּיְלָה

Ahitofel said to Avshalom: Please let me choose twelve thousand men, as I do not need more than that. Stay where you are and do not go out to fight against your father, and I will rise and pursue David tonight.

וְאָבוֹא עָלָיו וְהוּא יָגֵעַ וּרְפֵה יָדַיִם וְהַחֲרַדְתִּי אֹתוֹ וְנָס כָּל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וְהִכֵּיתִי אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ לְבַדּוֹ

I will come upon him, and he will be weary and discouraged, and I will strike terror into him; all the people who are with him will flee, and then I will smite the king alone. I will ensure that the soldiers pursue the king and kill him, so that a large-scale war will be unnecessary;

וְאָשִׁיבָה כָל הָעָם אֵלֶיךָ כְּשׁוּב הַכֹּל הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ כָּל הָעָם יִהְיֶה שָׁלוֹם

Once David is dead, I will restore all the people to you, just as after Saul’s death, everyone, the entire nation, was restored to the man whom you seek, David. If we act in this manner, the entire people, your men and David’s, will be at peace. There will be no need for any more fighting.

וַיִּישַׁר הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי אַבְשָׁלֹם וּבְעֵינֵי כָּל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

The plan made sense to Avshalom and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. Avshalom arranged a meeting of his council of prominent figures, and they all considered Ahitofel’s recommendation to be logical and effective.

וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְשָׁלוֹם קְרָא נָא גַּם לְחוּשַׁי הָאַרְכִּי וְנִשְׁמְעָה מַה בְּפִיו גַּם הוּא

Avshalom said to one of his men: Call now Hushai the Arkite as well, and we will hear what he too has to say. We must hear a second opinion.

וַיָּבֹא חוּשַׁי אֶל אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה דִּבֶּר אֲחִיתֹפֶל הֲנַעֲשֶׂה אֶת דְּבָרוֹ אִם אַיִן אַתָּה דַבֵּר

Hushai came to Avshalom, and Avshalom said to him, saying: Ahitofel spoke in this manner. Shall we act upon his words? If not, speak you.

וַיֹּאמֶר חוּשַׁי אֶל אַבְשָׁלוֹם לֹא טוֹבָה הָעֵצָה אֲשֶׁר יָעַץ אֲחִיתֹפֶל בַּפַּעַם הַזֹּאת

Hushai said to Avshalom: Although Ahitofel is very wise, this time the counsel that Ahitofel has counseled is not good. Hushai was careful not to insult Ahitofel too much, emphasizing that his mistake was a rare one.

וַיֹּאמֶר חוּשַׁי אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אֲנָשָׁיו כִּי גִבֹּרִים הֵמָּה וּמָרֵי נֶפֶשׁ הֵמָּה כְּדֹב שַׁכּוּל בַּשָּׂדֶה וְאָבִיךָ אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה וְלֹא יָלִין אֶת הָעָם

Hushai said: You know your father and his men; that they are mighty, and they are now embittered, like a bereaved bear that has lost its whelps in the field and is unafraid of attacking anything in its way. Your father is an experienced man of war, and he will not let the people sleep the night. He will not let his men lodge together in the open.

הִנֵּה עַתָּה הוּא נֶחְבָּא בְּאַחַת הַפְּחָתִים אוֹ בְּאַחַד הַמְּקוֹמֹת וְהָיָה כִּנְפֹל בָּהֶם בַּתְּחִלָּה וְשָׁמַע הַשֹּׁמֵעַ וְאָמַר הָיְתָה מַגֵּפָה בָּעָם אֲשֶׁר אַחֲרֵי אַבְשָׁלֹם

Behold, he is hiding now in one of the pits, caves, or in one of the other concealed places; if we send the army, he will have the advantage of surprise, as well as the advantage of operating in his own territory. It shall be that when some of them fall at the outset, when your forces suffer the first casualties of war, and whoever hears, one among the people, or soldiers standing behind them, who are unable to see what is happening in the darkness, they will say: There is a rout of the people who follow Avshalom.

והוּא גַם בֶּן חַיִל אֲשֶׁר לִבּוֹ כְּלֵב הָאַרְיֵה הִמֵּס יִמָּס כִּי יֹדֵעַ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי גִבּוֹר אָבִיךָ וּבְנֵי חַיִל אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ

Even if one who hears this is a valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, he will melt, he will be terrified, as all Israel knows that your father is mighty, and those with him are valiant men. This will undermine the morale of your men.

כִּי יָעַצְתִּי הֵאָסֹף יֵאָסֵף עָלֶיךָ כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל מִדָּן וְעַד בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע כַּחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל הַיָּם לָרֹב וּפָנֶיךָ הֹלְכִים בַּקְרָב

If I am giving counsel, it is that you take a different course of action: All Israel, a large military force, should be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, like the sand that is upon the sea in abundance, and you yourself should go to the battle, at the head of this army.

וּבָאנוּ אֵלָיו בְּאַחַד הַמְּקוֹמֹת אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא שָׁם וְנַחְנוּ עָלָיו כַּאֲשֶׁר יִפֹּל הַטַּל עַל הָאֲדָמָה וְלֹא נוֹתַר בּוֹ וּבְכָל הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ גַּם אֶחָד

We will come to him, David, in one of the places where he is found, and we will descend upon him as the dew falls on the ground. Just as the dew falls silently everywhere, so too, David will be defeated without commotion. From him and from all the men who are with him there will not remain even one.

וְאִם אֶל עִיר יֵאָסֵף וְהִשִּׂיאוּ כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל הָעִיר הַהִיא חֲבָלִים וְסָחַבְנוּ אֹתוֹ עַד הַנַּחַל עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא נִמְצָא שָׁם גַּם צְרוֹר

If he will be gathered in a fortified city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the ravine by rope, as it were, until even a pebble will not be found there.

וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְשָׁלוֹם וְכָל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל טוֹבָה עֲצַת חוּשַׁי הָאַרְכִּי מֵעֲצַת אֲחִיתֹפֶל וַה' צִוָּה לְהָפֵר אֶת עֲצַת אֲחִיתֹפֶל הַטּוֹבָה לְבַעֲבוּר הָבִיא ה' אֶל אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶת הָרָעָה

Avshalom and all the men of Israel said: The counsel of Hushai the Arkite is better than the counsel of Ahitofel. All of those present identified with Hushai’s reasoning, as they were concerned about a face-to-face confrontation with David. Although they had a much larger army than the exiled king, they preferred to amass additional forces before the battle. According to the Masoretic formatting of the text, there is an empty space in the middle of this verse in order to highlight the transition to the following statement: For the Lord had commanded to nullify the good counsel of Ahitofel, which was better than Hushai’s advice, in order for the Lord to bring harm upon Avshalom. Had Ahitofel’s proposal been implemented, David would have stood no chance.

וַיֹּאמֶר חוּשַׁי אֶל צָדוֹק וְאֶל אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֲנִים כָּזֹאת וְכָזֹאת יָעַץ אֲחִיתֹפֶל אֶת אַבְשָׁלֹם וְאֵת זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכָזֹאת וְכָזֹאת יָעַצְתִּי אָנִי

Hushai said to Tzadok and to Evyatar the priests, following the decision of Avshalom and his council: So and so, Ahitofel counseled Avshalom and the elders of Israel, and so and so, I counseled. Hushai reported that his suggestion was apparently accepted.

וְעַתָּה שִׁלְחוּ מְהֵרָה וְהַגִּידוּ לְדָוִד לֵאמֹר אַל תָּלֶן הַלַּיְלָה בְּעַרְבוֹת הַמִּדְבָּר וְגַם עָבוֹר תַּעֲבוֹר פֶּן יְבֻלַּע לַמֶּלֶךְ וּלְכָל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ

Nevertheless, he added: Now, send quickly, and tell David, saying: Do not stay the night in the plains of the wilderness, and even cross over to a safer location, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed; lest damage be inflicted upon him. Although Hushai had temporarily delayed the attack, he was worried that the decision might be reversed. He therefore advised David to prepare his men for battle.

וִיהוֹנָתָן וַאֲחִימַעַץ עֹמְדִים בְּעֵין רֹגֵל וְהָלְכָה הַשִּׁפְחָה וְהִגִּידָה לָהֶם וְהֵם יֵלְכוּ וְהִגִּידוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד כִּי לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְהֵרָאוֹת לָבוֹא הָעִירָה

Yehonatan and Ahimaatz were waiting in Ein Rogel; they hid outside the city so as not to raise suspicion. And the maidservant of the family of Tzadok went and told them the information, and they would go and tell King David, for they could not be seen coming to the city.

וַיַּרְא אֹתָם נַעַר וַיַּגֵּד לְאַבְשָׁלֹם וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם מְהֵרָה וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל בֵּית אִישׁ בְּבַחוּרִים וְלוֹ בְאֵר בַּחֲצֵרוֹ וַיֵּרְדוּ שָׁם

A lad saw them and reported to Avshalom. They apparently raised his suspicions, perhaps because they were not inside the city. Yehonatan and Ahimaatz sensed this, and so the two of them went quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard and they descended there, to hide in the well.

וַתִּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה וַתִּפְרֹשׂ אֶת הַמָּסָךְ עַל פְּנֵי הַבְּאֵר וַתִּשְׁטַח עָלָיו הָרִפוֹת וְלֹא נוֹדַע דָּבָר

The woman of the house took the covering and spread it over the opening of the well, and scattered groats, hulled kernels of grain, on it, pretending that she intended to cull the better kernels, or to dry them; and nothing was discovered.

וַיָּבֹאוּ עַבְדֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶל הָאִשָּׁה הַבַּיְתָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַיֵּה אֲחִימַעַץ וִיהוֹנָתָן וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הָאִשָּׁה עָבְרוּ מִיכַל הַמָּיִם וַיְבַקְשׁוּ וְלֹא מָצָאוּ וַיָּשֻׁבוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָם

Avshalom’s servants came to the woman in the house to search for the two young men, and said: Where are Ahimaatz and Yehonatan? The woman said to them: They crossed the brook of water. They, Avshalom’s servants, sought and did not find the two men and they returned to Jerusalem.

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי לֶכְתָּם וַיַּעֲלוּ מֵהַבְּאֵר וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּגִּדוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל דָּוִד קוּמוּ וְעִבְרוּ מְהֵרָה אֶת הַמַּיִם כִּי כָכָה יָעַץ עֲלֵיכֶם אֲחִיתֹפֶל

It was after their departure that they, Yehonatan and Ahimaatz, came up from the well, and went and reported to King David what had happened in Jerusalem. They said to David: Rise, and quickly cross the water, the Jordan River, as thus has Ahitofel counseled about you, to destroy you here before you can organize yourselves.

וַיָּקָם דָּוִד וְכָל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן עַד אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר עַד אַחַד לֹא נֶעְדָּר אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן

David and all the people who were with him rose, and they crossed the Jordan to a safer location, where they received more support from the local residents. The Jordan River was also a natural obstacle that would hinder the movement of Avshalom’s army. By the morning light there was not one absent who had not crossed the Jordan.

וַאֲחִיתֹפֶל רָאָה כִּי לֹא נֶעֶשְׂתָה עֲצָתוֹ וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת הַחֲמוֹר וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל בֵּיתוֹ אֶל עִירוֹ וַיְצַו אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וַיֵּחָנַק וַיָּמָת וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּקֶבֶר אָבִיו

Ahitofel saw that his counsel was not implemented. Since he was a very clever man, he was aware of Avshalom’s weakness, and concluded that there was no chance that he would succeed. And consequently, he saddled a donkey, rose, and went to his house, to his city, Gilo. He instructed his household, left a will for his family, and strangled himself, and died. As one of the leaders of the rebellion, Ahitofel was sure that when Avshalom was defeated, he would fall with him, as when David would return, he would certainly take revenge against him. Rather than waiting for this to happen, Ahitofel preferred to hang himself. And he was buried in the grave of his father. This was another benefit Ahitofel derived from his suicide; he was buried among his ancestors’ graves, as an honorable person. Had he been executed as an insurgent, he may well have been buried somewhere dishonorable, and his property might have been confiscated as well, in accordance with the law of one who rebels against the king.

וְדָוִד בָּא מַחֲנָיְמָה וְאַבְשָׁלֹם עָבַר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הוּא וְכָל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל עִמּוֹ

David came to Mahanayim, a city east of the Jordan River, and Avshalom crossed the Jordan, he and the men of Israel with him. Avshalom’s camp prepared for war.

וְאֶת עֲמָשָׂא שָׂם אַבְשָׁלֹם תַּחַת יוֹאָב עַל הַצָּבָא וַעֲמָשָׂא בֶן אִישׁ וּשְׁמוֹ יִתְרָא הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי אֲשֶׁר בָּא אֶל אֲבִיגַל בַּת נָחָשׁ אֲחוֹת צְרוּיָה אֵם יוֹאָב

Avshalom appointed Amasa as commander over the army in place of Yoav. Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Yitra the Israelite, who had consorted with Avigal, daughter of Nahash, sister of Tzeruya, mother of Yoav. Amasa was the nephew of David’s sister Tzeruya, and since he was a military man, Avshalom put him at the head of the army.

וַיִּחַן יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַבְשָׁלֹם אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד

Israel and Avshalom encamped in the land of the Gilad.

וַיְהִי כְּבוֹא דָוִד מַחֲנָיְמָה וְשֹׁבִי בֶן נָחָשׁ מֵרַבַּת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וּמָכִיר בֶּן עַמִּיאֵל מלֹא דְבָר וּבַרְזִלַּי הַגִּלְעָדִי מֵרֹגְלִים

With the arrival of David at Mahanayim, there were Shobi son of Nahash of Raba of the children of Amon, and Makhir son of Amiel of Lo Devar, and Barzilai the Giladite of Rogelim, who had all arrived;

מִשְׁכָּב וְסַפּוֹת וּכְלִי יוֹצֵר וְחִטִּים וּשְׂעֹרִים וְקֶמַח וְקָלִי וּפוֹל וַעֲדָשִׁים וְקָלִי

with bedding, bowls, earthenware vessels, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, wheat kernels, or flour, parched for preservation, beans, lentils, and roasted beans of these species as well,

וּדְבַשׁ וְחֶמְאָה וְצֹאן וּשְׁפוֹת בָּקָר הִגִּישׁוּ לְדָוִד וְלָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ לֶאֱכוֹל כִּי אָמְרוּ הָעָם רָעֵב וְעָיֵף וְצָמֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר

and honey, butter, sheep, and cows’ cheese, alternatively, cuts of cattle meat, ready to be cooked. All these they presented to David and to the people who were with him to eat, as they said: The people are hungry, weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.