2 Samuel 17

1 Disse também Aitofel a Absalão: Deixa-me escolher doze mil homens, e me levantarei e perseguirei a Davi esta noite. 2 *2Sm 16.14Virei sobre ele, enquanto está cansado e frouxo de mãos, e o espantarei. Fugirá todo o povo que está com ele; *1Rs 22.31e ferirei tão somente ao rei. 3 Farei tornar a ti todo o povo como todo o povo costuma voltar (é o que tu buscas), e todo o povo ficará em paz. 4 O parecer agradou a Absalão e a todos os anciãos de Israel.

O conselho de Husai é adotado

5 Disse Absalão: *2Sm 15.32-34Chamai, agora, a *2Sm 15.32-34Husai, arquita, e ouçamos também o que ele diz. 6 Tendo Husai chegado à presença de Absalão, disse-lhe Absalão: Desta maneira falou Aitofel: Seguiremos o seu conselho? Se não, fala tu. 7 Husai respondeu a Absalão: *2Sm 16.21Não é bom o conselho que Aitofel deu esta vez. 8 Prosseguiu Husai: Tu sabes que teu pai e os homens que estão com ele são valentes e que estão com o espírito amargurado *Os 13.8como a ursa no campo roubada dos seus cachorros. Teu pai é homem de guerra e não passará a noite com o povo. 9 Eis que, agora, está ele escondido em alguma caverna ou em qualquer outro lugar; e, ao caírem alguns do povo no primeiro ataque, quem isso ouvir dirá: Há matança entre o povo que segue a Absalão. 10 Até o valente, cujo coração é como o dum leão, *Js 2.9-11sem dúvida se derreterá. Porque todo o Israel sabe que teu pai é um herói e tem bravos consigo. 11 O meu conselho, porém, é que se ajunte a ti, sem demora, todo o Israel, *1Sm 3.20desde Dã até Berseba, *Gn 22.17;1Sm 13.5em multidão como a areia do mar; e que tu vás em pessoa no meio deles. 12 Assim, daremos sobre ele em qualquer lugar em que for achado e desceremos sobre ele como costuma cair o *Sl 110.3;Mq 5.7orvalho sobre a terra; não será deixado nem sequer um só homem dos que estão com ele. 13 Porém, se ele se retirar para alguma cidade, todo o Israel trará cordas àquela cidade, e *Mq 1.6arrastá-la-emos para o ribeiro, até que não se ache ali nem uma só pedrinha. 14 Disse Absalão e todos os homens de Israel: O conselho de Husai, arquita, é melhor do que o de Aitofel. *2Sm 15.31,34Pois Jeová ordenara que fosse dissipado o bom conselho de Aitofel, para trazer o mal sobre Absalão.

15 *2Sm 15.35-36Disse Husai ao sacerdote Zadoque e Abiatar: Assim e assim aconselhou Aitofel a Absalão e os anciãos de Israel; porém eu aconselhei assim e assim. 16 Agora, enviai depressa a avisar a Davi, dizendo: *2Sm 15.28Não fiques esta noite nos vaus do deserto, mas, sem demora, atravessa para a outra banda; não suceda que seja engolido o rei e todo o povo que com ele está. 17 *2Sm 15.27,36Ora, Jônatas e Aimaás estavam junto a *Js 15.7;18.16En-Rogel; uma criada ia avisar-lhes, pois não podiam ser vistos entrar na cidade; eles partiram a dizer ao rei Davi. 18 Viu-os, porém, um rapaz e avisou a Absalão. Mas ambos partiram às pressas e entraram em casa dum homem de *2Sm 3.16;16.5Baurim, que tinha um poço no pátio de sua casa, ao qual desceram. 19 *Js 2.4-6A mulher, tomando a tampa, estendeu-a sobre a boca do poço, espalhou frutas sobre ela; e nada se soube. 20 Chegando os servos de Absalão à casa da mulher, perguntaram: Onde estão Aimaás e Jônatas? *Lv 19.11;Js 2.3-5;1Sm 19.12-17Respondeu-lhes a mulher: Já passaram o ribeiro. Tendo-os procurado, sem os acharem, voltaram para Jerusalém.

Davi é aconselhado a atravessar o Jordão

21 Logo que se retiraram, saíram Aimaás e Jônatas do poço, e foram avisar o rei Davi, e disseram-lhe: *2Sm 17.15-16Levantai-vos e passai depressa as águas, porque assim e assim aconselhou Aitofel contra vós. 22 Então, se levantou Davi e todo o povo que estava com ele, e passaram o Jordão; antes de raiar o dia, não lhes faltava nem sequer um que não tivesse passado o Jordão. 23 Vendo Aitofel que não se havia seguido o seu conselho, albardou o seu jumento, e levantou-se, e foi para casa, para *2Sm 15.12a sua cidade; *2Rs 20.1tendo posto em ordem a sua casa, *Mt 27.5enforcou-se, morreu e foi enterrado na sepultura de seu pai.

24 Davi chegou a *2Sm 2.8;Gn 32.2,10Maanaim. Absalão, tendo passado o Jordão com todos os homens de Israel, 25 deu o mando do exército a *2Sm 19.13;20.9-12;1Rs 2.5,32Amasa em lugar de Joabe. Ora, Amasa era filho dum homem que se chamava Itra, israelita, que entrou a Abigail, filha de *1Cr 2.13,16Naás, irmã de Zeruia, mãe de Joabe. 26 Israel e Absalão acamparam-se na terra de Gileade.

A vitória do exército de Davi sobre o de Absalão

27 Tendo Davi chegado a Maanaim, *2Sm 10.1-2;1Sm 11.1Sobi, filho de Naás, de *2Sm 12.26,29Rabá que pertencia aos filhos de Amom, e *2Sm 9.4Maquir, filho de Amiel, de Lo-Debar, e *2Sm 19.31-40;1Rs 2.7Barzilai, gileadita de Rogelim, 28 tomaram camas, bacias e louça de barro; trigo, cevada, farinha, grão torrado, favas e lentilhas também torradas; 29 e mel, coalhada, ovelhas e queijos de vacas, os quais trouxeram a Davi e ao povo que estava com ele, para que comessem. Porque disseram: O povo está faminto, cansado e sedento, *2Sm 16.2,14no deserto.

1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let 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 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 well, and all the elders of Israel.*17.4 pleased…: Heb. was right in the eyes of, etc 5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.*17.5 what…: 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? if not; speak thou.*17.6 his saying: Heb. his word 7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.*17.7 given: Heb. counselled 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.*17.8 chafed…: Heb. bitter of soul 9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.*17.9 overthrown: Heb. fallen 10 And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. 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 thou go to battle in thine own person.*17.11 that thou…: Heb. that thy face, or, presence go, etc 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. 13 Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there. 14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.*17.14 appointed: Heb. commanded

15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. 16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him. 17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David. 18 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man’s house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down. 19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known. 20 And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 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.

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 household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.*17.23 followed: Heb. done*17.23 put his…: Heb. gave charge concerning his house 24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man’s son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab’s mother.*17.25 Ithra an Israelite: or, Jether an Ishmaelite*17.25 Abigail: Heb. Abigal*17.25 Nahash: or, Jesse 26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.

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 Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, 28 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,*17.28 basons: or, cups 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.