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Apoteichisis

The Old Testament

2 Kingdoms 17

ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΝ Β΄ · 17

Brenton 17:1

And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Let me now choose out for myself twelve thousand men, and I will arise and follow after David this night:

Brenton 17:2

and I will come upon him when he is weary and weak-handed, and I will strike him with terror; and all the people with him shall flee, and I will smite the king only of all.

Brenton 17:3

And I will bring back all the people to thee, as a bride returns to her husband: only thou seekest the life of one man, and all the people shall have peace.

Brenton 17:4

And the saying was right in the eyes of Abessalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.

Brenton 17:5

And Abessalom said, Call now also Chusi the Arachite, and let us hear what is in his mouth, even in his also.

Brenton 17:6

And Chusi went in to Abessalom, and Abessalom spoke to him, saying, After this manner spoke Achitophel: shall we do according to his word? but if not, do thou speak.

Brenton 17:7

And Chusi said to Abessalom, This counsel which Achitophel has counselled this one time is not good.

Brenton 17:8

And Chusi said, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are very mighty, and bitter in their spirit, as a bereaved bear in the field, [and as a wild boar in the plain]: and thy father is a man of war, and will not give the people rest.

Source notes (1)
  • Heb. and Alex. omit the wods in italics.
Brenton 17:9

For, behold, he is now hidden in one of the hills or in some other place: and it shall come to pass when he falls upon them at the beginning, that some one will certainly hear, and say, There has been a slaughter among the people that follow after Abessalom.

Brenton 17:10

Then even he that is strong, whose heart is as the heart of a lion,—it shall utterly melt: for all Israel knows that thy father is mighty, and they that are with him are mighty men.

Source notes (1)
  • Gr. a son of strength.
Brenton 17:11

For thus I have surely given counsel, that all Israel be generally gathered to thee from Dan even to Bersabee, as the sand that is upon the sea-shore for multitude: and that thy presence go in the midst of them.

Source notes (1)
  • Gr. going.
Brenton 17:12

And we will come upon him in one of the places where we shall find him, and we will encamp against him, as the dew falls upon the earth; and we will not leave of him and of his men so much as one.

Brenton 17:13

And if he shall have taken refuge with his army in a city, then shall all Israel take ropes to that city, and we will draw it even into the river, that there may not be left there even a stone.

Brenton 17:14

And Abessalom, and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Chusi the Arachite is better than the counsel of Achitophel. For the Lord ordained to disconcert the good counsel of Achitophel, that the Lord might bring all evil upon Abessalom.

Brenton 17:15

And Chusi the Arachite said to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus Achitophel counselled Abessalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

Brenton 17:16

And now send quickly and report to David, saying, Lodge not this night in Araboth of the wilderness: even go and make haste, lest one swallow up the king, and all the people with him.

Source notes (1)
  • Alex. καταπίῃ.
Brenton 17:17

And Jonathan and Achimaas stood by the well of Rogel, and a maid-servant went and reported to them, and they go and tell king David; for they might not be seen to enter into the city.

Brenton 17:18

But a young man saw them and told Abessalom: and the two went quickly, and entered into the house of a man in Baurim; and he had a well in his court, and they went down into it.

Brenton 17:19

And a woman took a covering, and spread it over the mouth of the well, and spread out ground corn upon it to dry, and the thing was not known.

Source notes (1)
  • See Num. 11. 32; Jer. 8. 2.
Brenton 17:20

And the servants of Abessalom came to the woman into the house, and said, Where are Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman said to them, They are gone a little way beyond the water. And they sought and found them not, and returned to Jerusalem.

Source notes (2)
  • Or, lately gone over.
  • Or, the small streams.
Brenton 17:21

And it came to pass after they were gone, that they came up out of the pit, and went on their way; and reported to king David, and said to David, Arise ye and go quickly over the water, for thus has Achitophel counselled concerning you.

Brenton 17:22

And David rose up and all the people with him, and they passed over Jordan till the morning light; there was not one missing who did not pass over Jordan.

Brenton 17:23

And Achitophel saw that his counsel was not followed, and he saddled his ass, and rose and departed to his house into his city; and he gave orders to his household, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

Source notes (1)
  • Comp. the Greek with Mat. 27. 5.
Brenton 17:24

And David passed over to Manaim: and Abessalom crossed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

Brenton 17:25

And Abessalom appointed Amessai in the room of Joab over the host. And Amessai was the son of a man whose name was Jether of Jezrael: he went in to Abigaia the daughter of Naas, the sister of Saruia the mother of Joab.

Source notes (1)
  • Gr. and his name, etc.
Brenton 17:26

And all Israel and Abessalom encamped in the land of Galaad.

Brenton 17:27

And it came to pass when David came to Manaim, that Uesbi the son of Naas of Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, and Machir son of Amiel of Lodabar, and Berzelli the Galaadite of Rogellim,

Brenton 17:28

brought ten embroidered beds, (with double coverings,) and ten caldrons, and earthenware, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and meal, and beans, and pulse,

Brenton 17:29

and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheeses of kine: and they brought them to David and to his people with him to eat; for one said, The people is faint and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.

Brenton supplied wording, small capitals, translation notes, Greek wording, and edition-specific verse identifiers are retained. Parallel passages keep each edition's own references. Editions and sources.