1 Ahithophel said to Absalom:
Let me choose 12,000 men and attack David tonight, 2 while he is tired and discouraged. He will panic, and everyone with him will run away. I won't kill anyone except David, 3 since he's the one you want to get rid of. Then I'll bring the whole nation back to you like a bride coming home to her husband. This way there won't be a civil war.
Hushai Fools Absalom
4 Absalom and all the leaders of the tribes of Israel agreed that Ahithophel had a good plan. 5 Then Absalom said, “Bring in Hushai the Archite. Let's hear what he has to say.”
6 Hushai came in, and Absalom told him what Ahithophel had planned. Then Absalom said, “Should we do what he says? And if we shouldn't, can you come up with anything better?”
7 Hushai said:
This time Ahithophel's advice isn't so good. 8 You know that your father and his followers are real warriors. Now they are as fierce as a mother bear whose cubs have just been killed. Besides, your father has a lot of experience in fighting wars, and he won't be spending the night with the others. 9 He has probably already found a hiding place in a cave or somewhere else.
As soon as anyone hears that some of your soldiers have been killed, everyone will think your whole army has been destroyed. 10 Then even those who are as brave as a lion will lose their courage. All Israel knows what a great warrior your father is and what brave soldiers he has.
11 My advice is to gather all the fighting men of Israel from the town of Dan in the north down to the town of Beersheba in the south. You will have more soldiers than there are grains of sand on the seashore. Absalom, you should lead them yourself, 12 and we will all go to fight David wherever he is. We will fall on him just as dew falls and covers the ground. He and all his soldiers will die! 13 If they go into a walled town, we will put ropes around that town and drag it into the river. We won't leave even one small piece of a stone.
14 Absalom and the others liked Hushai's plan better than Ahithophel's plan. This was because the Lord had decided to keep Ahithophel's plan from working and to cause trouble for Absalom.
Jonathan and Ahimaaz Tell David the News
15 At once, Hushai went to Zadok and Abiathar. He told them what advice Ahithophel had given to Absalom and to the leaders of Israel. He also told them about the advice he had given. 16 Then he said, “Hurry! Send someone to warn David not to spend the night on this side of the Jordan. He must get across the river, so he and the others won't be wiped out!”
17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been waiting at Rogel Spring because they did not want to be seen in Jerusalem. A servant girl went to the spring and gave them the message for David. 18 But a young man saw them and went to tell Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz left and hurried to the house of a man who lived in Bahurim. Then they climbed down into a well in the courtyard. 19 The man's wife put the cover on the well and poured grain on top of it, so the well could not be seen.
20 Absalom's soldiers came to the woman and demanded, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
The woman answered, “They went across that stream.”
The soldiers went off to look for the two men. But when they did not find the men, they went back to Jerusalem.
21 After the soldiers had gone, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. They went to David and said, “Hurry! Get ready to cross the river!” Then they told him about Ahithophel's plan.
22 David and the others got ready and started crossing the Jordan River. By sunrise all of them were on the other side.
Ahithophel Kills Himself
23 When Ahithophel saw that Absalom and the leaders of Israel were not going to follow his advice, he saddled his donkey and rode back to his home in Gilo. He told his family and servants what to do. Then he hanged himself, and they buried him in his family's burial place.
Absalom Puts Amasa in Charge of the Army
24 David went to the town of Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan River with the army of Israel. 25 Absalom put Amasa in Joab's place as commander of the army. Amasa's father was Ithra from the family of Ishmael, and his mother was Abigal, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab's mother Zeruiah. 26 The Israelites under Absalom's command set up camp in the region of Gilead.
Friends Bring Supplies to David
27 After David came to the town of Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash came from Rabbah in Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel came from Lo-Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite came from Rogelim.
28-29 Here is a list of what they brought: sleeping mats, blankets, bowls, pottery jars, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, honey, yogurt, sheep, and cheese.
They brought the food for David and the others because they knew that everyone would be hungry, tired, and thirsty from being out in the desert.
Husaib ge Absalomma ra ǂgaeǂhapu
1 ǃAruǀîb ge Ahitofela Absalomma ǃoa ge mî: “A ta disiǀgamǀaǀoadisi khoega ǁhûiǂuibasen tsî ǂhomisen tsî Davida nē tsuxub ǁkhāb ǃnâ ǃgôaǃgon. 2 O ta ge tsau tsîb ra ǂkhabuǂâi hîa sīǃgâ bi tsî nî ǃhuriǃhuri bi, os ge ǁîb ǀkha hâ ǂnubis hoasa nî ǃkhoeni, o ta ge gao-aob ǀguiba nî ǃgam. 3 Tsî ta ge hoaraga ǁaesa satsa ǃoa nî hā-ū, ǃgametaras aob âsa ǃoa ra oaǀkhī khami, ob ge ǀgui khoeb ǀguiba nî ǁō tsîs ge ǁaes hoasa ǂkhôahe tide.” 4 Nē ǀapemās ge Absalommi tsî Israelǁîn ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsîna ge ǃgâiba.
5 Xaweb ge Absalomma ge mî: “Husaib Arkǁîba aibe ǂgai, î ge tare-eb nî mîsa ǁnâu.” 6 Husaib ge hā, ob ge Absalomma ǁîba ge mîba: “Nētib ge Ahitofela go ǀapemā, o ǁîb go mî khami ge nî dī? Satsa mâti ra ǂâi?”
7 Ob ge Husaiba ge mî: “Nē ǃnāsab go Ahitofela mā ǀapemās ge ǃgâi tama hâ. 8 Sats ge sa îb Davidi tsî ǁîb aoga a ǂan, ǀgaisa toroǃkhamaogu asa. Tsî mâtikōse gu ǀgôan âsa ū-aihe hâ bērs khami tsûaǂgao hâsa. ǁNās xōǀkhāb ge sa îba a gā-ai toro-ao tsî toroǃkhamaogu âb tawa tsuxuba hâ tide. 9 ǀNîsib ge nēsi ǀnai ǁhoab ǃnâs kas, ǀnî ǃkhai-i ǃnâs kas hoasa gau hâ. Tsî ǀnîgu sa toroǃkhamaogu digu ga ǀnai ǃkhammi tsoatsoas ǃnâ ǁō, o-i ge ǁnāsa ga ǁnâu-i hoa-e, Absalommi aogu ge go danhe ti nî mî. 10 O gu ge ǁkhoaǂgaoxa ǃgari-aogu, xamgu khami a ǁkhoagu ona sa îb a kai toroǃkhamao tsî ǁkhoaǂgaoxa ǃkhamaogu ǁîb ǀkha hâ ǃkhaisab Israeli hoaba ǂan xui-ao nî ǃao. 11 Tita nî ǀapemā tsis ge, an ǃhūb a ǂhaba khami hâ Israelǁîn, hurib amǃgâ ǁgoe ǃhūb kōse a ǂguin hoana sats tawa ǀhaoǀhaohe, îts sats ǂûtsa ǁkhāti ǁîn ǀkha ǃkhammi ǃoa ǂoa. 12 O ge ge hâb ka ǃkhai-i hoa-i ai hō bi tsî ǀaub ra ǃhūb ai ǁnā khami nî ǁnāǂam bi. ǁÎb tsî ǁîb ǀkha hâ aogu di ǀguib xaweb ge ûiǂoa tide. 13 ǃĀ-i ǃnâb ga ǂgâ, ob ge Israelǁîn hoana tsuriga ǁnā ǃās ǂnubiǂgoagu ai ǃgae tsî ǁîgu ǀkha ǃāsa ǃgoaǃnāb kōse nî ǂgaeǁnâ, ǀgui ǂnubiǀuis xawes tsîn ǃgau tides kōse.”
14 O gu ge Absalommi tsî Israeli aogu hoagu tsîna ge mî: “Husaib, Arkǁîb ǀapemās ge Ahitofeli dis xa a ǃgâi.” ǃKhūb ge ge dī Ahitofeli ǃgâi ǀapes nî ǁauǁauhesa, îb ǃKhūba ǂkhôaba Absalommi ǂama hā-ū.
Davidi ge Absalommi ǀapesa ǂhôahe tsî ra ǃhū
15 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Husaiba pristerkha Sadoki tsî Abiatari tsîkha ge ǂanǂan: “Nētib ge Ahitofela Absalommi tsî Israeli ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsîna go ǀapemā, xawe tita ge nēti go ǀapemā. 16 ǃHaese kho Davida haisiba, îb tā ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ, ǃārob ǃgâunas tawa nē tsuxuba hâ, îb ǃhaese aiǃâ ǃgû, î gu tā ǁîb tsî toroǃkhamaogu hoaga ǃgamhe.”
17 Jonatanni tsî Ahimaasi tsîkha Enrogelǀaus tawa ǃâu hâ hîas ge ǃgāsa ǁîkha ge mîba tsîkha ge ǁîkha ǃgû tsî gao-aob Davida sī ge ǂanǂan. 18 Xawe ǂkham axab ge ǁîkha mû tsî Absalomma sī ge mîba. O kha ge ǁîkha ǃkhoeni tsî Bahurims ǃnâ, ǀgui aob oms tawa sī ge gau. ǁNā aob ge oms âb tawa tsauba ge ūhâ i tsî kha ge ǁîkha ǁîb ǃnâ ge ǁgôa. 19 ǁÎb taras ge ǃkhaiba ū tsî tsauba ǃgū-ai tsî ǃhoro-e ǁîb ai ge tsoro, khoe-i xare-i xū-e ǂan tidese. 20 Absalommi ǂamkhoegu ge oms tawa sī tsî tarasa “Ahimaasi tsî Jonatanni tsîkha mâpa hâ?” ti ge dî.
Os ge ǁîsa “ǁÎkha ge ǃāba go ǃgâu” ti ge ǃeream.
Tsî ôa gu ge, xawe gu ge ǁîkha hō tama i, o gu ge Jerusalems ǁga ge oa. 21 Tsî ǁîgu ge oa, o kha ge Ahimaasi tsî Jonatanni tsîkha tsauba xu ǂoaxa tsî Davida, tare-eb Ahitofela ǁîb ǃoagu ra ǀapeǀape ǃkhaisa sī ǂhôa tsî ge mî: “ǃHae, î ǃāba ǃgâu.” 22 On ge gao-aob tsî ǁîb ǀkha hâ ǁaes hoas tsîna ǂhomisen tsî Jordanna ge ǃgâu; sores ǁhaib ǀkhan ge hoatsama ǃāba ge ǃgâutoa hâ i.
23 Tsî Ahitofeli ge ǀapemās âb go ūǃoahe tama i ǃkhaisab ge mû, o dâukib âba ǃgaeǃgâ tsî ǁîb ǃās ǃoa, oms âb ǁga ge ǁaru. ǁNāpab ge aiǂhomisende xūn tsî ǀaokhoen âb ǀkha dī tsî ge ǂgāmâisen tsî ǀaokhoen âb di ǀhobas ǃnâ ge ǁkhōhe.
24 Davidi ge Absalommi tsî Israelǁîn hoan Jordanǃāba ra ǃgâu, hîa Mahanaims tawa ge sī. 25 Absalommi ge Amasaba Joab soas ǃnâ, toroǂnubis ǂama ge mâi. Amasab ge Jitra ti ǀon hâ Ismaelǁîb di ôa ge i; ǁîb îs ge Abigails, Nahasi ôasa tsîs ge Joab îs Serujas di ǃgâsa ge i. 26 Israeli toroǂnubis tsî Absalommi tsîn ge Gileadǃhūb ǃnâ hâǃkhaiba ge ǂnaumâi.
27 Tsî Davidi ge Mahanaims tawa a sī, o gu ge Sobib, Nahasi ôab Amonǁî ǃās Rabas dib tsî Makiri, Amieli, Lodebars dib ôab tsî Barsilaib, Gileadǁîb Rogelims dib tsîga 28 ǁgoe-aixūn, xapan, ǂgoasūdi, ǃhoro-i, mel-i, bonkin, ǁnarusa ǃhoro-i, lensenn, 29 dani-i tsî ǂgēse-i tsîna Davidi tsî ǁîb khoega ǂû tsî gu nî āga ge sī-ūba. ǁÎgu ge Davidi tsî ǁîb khoegu ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ ǃâ tsî ǁgâ tsî ǁkhāti tsau hâ ǃkhaisa ge ǂan i.
