26 But if he thus say, I have no deKings 10.9. light in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.

2 Chron.9.8.

Isai. 62. 4.

1 Sam. 3. 18.

27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.

29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

h

g

30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, † and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him 'covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

1

k

31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, ch. 16. 23. & I pray thee, "turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

17. 14, 23.

n Josh. 16. 2. • ch. 1. 2.

P ch. 19. 35.

9 ch. 16. 19.

32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head :

33 Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me:

q

34 But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, ch. 17. 15,16. thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

AND when David was a little past ch.13.10.2 the top of the hill, behold, Žibach. 9. 2 the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's houshold to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness ch. 15. &, may drink.

5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: hech. 19. 16. came forth, and cursed still as he came.

6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou t bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

ch. 15. 37.

14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

8

defeated by Hushai's.

CHAPTER XVII.

1 Ahithophel's counsel is overthrown by Hushaïs, according to God's appointment. 15 Secret intelligence is sent unto David. 23 Ahithophel hangeth himself. 25 Amasa is made captain. 27 David at Mahanaim is furnished with provision.

OREOVER Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:

b

2 And I will come upon him while he is "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 thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.

4 And the saying † pleased Absalom + Heb. was well, and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.

t

16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto +Heb. Let the Absalom, † God save the king, God save the king.

king live.

17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? "why wentest thou not with thy friend?

18 And Hushaj, said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

19 And again, * whom should I serve? should I 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.

22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went ch. 12. 11,12. in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

right in the eyes of, &c. 1 Sam. 18.20.

+Heb.what is in his mouth.

6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner shall we do after his † saying? + Heb. word? if not; speak thou.

7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath † given is not good at this time.

8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be † chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, 'as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and † that Heb.that thy t thou go to battle in thine own person.

12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.

face,or, presence go, &c.

+ Heb. done.

ch. 15. 12. + Heb. gave charge con. cerning his house.

2 Kings 20.1.

21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

q

22 Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not † followed, he saddled his ass, and arose and gat him home to his house, to his city, and † put his

r

Ahithophel hangeth himself.

houshold in order, and 'hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

t

24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

Before CHRIST 1023.

• Matt. 7.5. Gen. 32. 2

Josh. 13, 26.

ch. 2. 8.

25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was || Ithra Or. Jether an Israelite, that went in to "+ Abigail the daughter of || Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

u

an Ishmael. ite.

1 Chron. 2 16, 17. + Heb. Abigal.

26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in Or, Jesse the land of Gilead.

Χ

See 1Chron 2. 13, 16

* See ch. 10. 1. & 12 29.

27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Am-7 ch. 9. 4. miel of Lo-debar, and 'Barzillai the Gi-ch. 19.31.2 leadite of Rogelim,

y

28 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,

29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness. CHAPTER XVIII.

a

1 Kings 2.7.

Or, cups.

ch. 16. 2

ch. 15. 19.

their heart

3 But the people answered, Thouch. 21. 17. shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not † care for us; neither if half +Heh art of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: there-Heb. as ten fore now it is better that thou † succour us out of the city.

4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

+ Heb. weigh upon mine

hand.

e ver. 5. + Heb. Beware who

of, &c.

9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

e

12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: * for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, † Beware suever ye be that none touch the young man Absalom. 13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me. 14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry + Heb. before thus † with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the † midst of the oak.

thee.

+ Heb. heart.

h

taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his See ch. 14. own name and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.

19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath + avenged him of his enemies.

27.

+Heb.Judged him from the hand,&c.

man of ti

dings.

20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not † bear tidings this day, but thou + Heb. be a shalt bear tidings another day but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.

i

24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.

26 And the watchman saw another man running and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.

|| Or, convenient.

12 Kings 9.17.

the running.

27 And the watchman said, † Me + Heb. I see thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.

28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, † All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath † delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.

29 And the king said, † Is the young +Heb. Is there inan Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.