1 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me, I pray, choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David to-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 to thee. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: all the people shall be in peace.
4 And the saying was right in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.
5 And Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and we will hear also what he says.
6 And Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom spoke to him saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner: shall we carry out his word? If not, speak thou.
7 And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.