II. Samuzn XVI. 18.

B.C, 1023.
i. ishs
.
a.according- as.
AHITHO- PHEL'S COUNSEL.
21.Ch. 15. 16 ; 20. 3.
22. Ch. 12. 11, 12.
a.according- as.
w.word, Heb. debar.
AHITHO-
PHEL'S PROPOSAL. i, ish,
w. was-right in the-eyes_ of.
at. and in the-eyes_of.
| COUNSEL OF
HUSHAI.
c. coun- selled.
@. anah- shim, plural of
ish.
b. bitter-of soul.
i. ish.
| s. sons_of valour.
18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, “Nay; but whom "the Lorp, and «this xpeople, and all the_imen_of Israél, schoose, his will_I_be, and with him will_I_abide.
19 And again, whom should & serve? should J not serve in the_presence_of his son? «as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will_I_be in thy presence.”
20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, “.»Give counsel among you what we shall_do.”
21 And Ahithophel said unto Absa- lom, “*Go_in unto thy father’s concu- bines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israél -shall_hear that thou ‘art_abhorred_of thy «father: then ‘shall the-hands_of all that are with thee be_strong.”
22 So they spread Absalom a@ xtent upon the top_of_the_house ; and Absa- lom went_in unto his father’s concu- bines in the_sight_of all Israél.
23 And the_counsel_of Ahithophel, which he counselled in xthose days, was «as if a tman had _inquired at the_ oracle_of x=God : so was all the_ counsel_of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
1 MOREOVER Ahithophel said
unto Absalom, “tLet me now choose out twelve thousand ‘men, and I will_arise and pursue after David this night:
2 And I will_come upon him while he 7s weary and weak handed, and -will_ make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall_flee; and I *will_smite -the king only:
3 And I will_bring_back all the people unto thee: the ‘man whom thon -+seek- est. is as if all returned: so all the people shall_be in peace.”
4 And the saying w pleased Absalom well, and ,i all the_elders_of Israél.
5 Then said Absalom, “-Call now
Hushai the Archite also, and let_us_’
hear likewise what he saith.
6 And when Hushai was_come to Ab- salom, Absalom spake unto him, say- ing, “ Ahithophel -hath_spoken after xthis xmanner: shall_we_do after his vsaying ? if not; «speak thou.”
7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel -hath_ ¢ given is not good at xthis xtime.
8 For,” said Hushai, “thou -knowest thy -father and his «-men, that thep be mighty_men, and thep be > chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed_of_ her_whelps in the field: and thy father is a iman_of war, and will not lodge with the people. :
° Behold, he is_hid now in some xpit, or in some other xplace: and it -will_ come_to_pass, when some of them be_ overthrown at the first, that whosoever ‘heareth it -will_say, ‘There sis a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.’
10 And he also that 7s valiant, whose heart is as the_heart_of.a xlion, shall_ utterly melt: for all Israél +knoweth that thy father is a mighty_man, and they which be with him ares yaliant_men.
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