1   Achitophel therefore said to Absolom: I wil choose me twelue thousand men, and rysing I wil pursew Dauid this night.

2   And falling vpon him (for as much as he is weary, and of weakened handes) I wil strike him: and when al the people is fled, that is with him, I shal strike the king being desolate.

3   And I shal reduce al the people, as one man is wont to returne: for thou seekest one man: and al the people shal be in peace.

4   And his saying pleased Absalom, and al the ancientes of Israel.

5   But Absalom sayd: Cal Chusai the Arachite, and let vs heare what he also sayeth.

6   And when Chusai was come to Absalom, Absalom sayd to him: This maner of speache spake Achitophel: shal we doe it or no? What counsel geuest thou?

7   And Chusai sayd to Absalom:

Dauid. It is not good counsel, that Achitophel hath geuen this time.

8   And agayne Chusai inferred: Thou knowest thy father, and the men that are with him, to be verie valiant, and of fel courage, as if a beare in the wood her whelpes being taken away should rage: yea and thy father is a man of warre, neither wil he abyde with the people.

9   Perhaps he lyeth now hid secretely in caues, or in some one place where he list: and when any one shal fal in the beginning, there shal one heare whosoeuer shal heare it, & say: There is made a slaughter in the people that folowed Absalom.

10   And euerie one of the most valiant whose hart is as it were a lyons, shal fainte for feare: for al the people of Israel knowe thy father to be a valiant man, and that al be strong which are with him.

11   But this semeth vnto me to be good counsel: Let al Israel be gathered to thee, from Dan to Bersabee, as the sand of the sea innumerable: and thou shalt be in the middes of them.

12   And we shal sette vpon them in what place soeuer they shal be found: and we shal couer them, as dew is wont to fal vpon the earth: and we shal not leaue of the men, that are with him, not so much as one.

13   And if he shal enter into any citie, al Israel shal cast ropes vpon that citie round about, and we wil drawe it into the torrent, that there be not found therof not so much as a litle stone.

14   And Absalom sayd, and al the children of Israel: The counsel of Chusai the Arachite is better then the counsel of Achitophel: and by the wil of our Lord was the profitable counsel of Achitophel defeated, that our Lord might bring in euil vpon Absalom.

15   And Chusai sayd to Sadoc and Abiathat the priestes: In this and this maner gaue Achitophel counsel to Absalom, and to the Ancientes of Israel: and I gaue such and such counsel.

16   Now therfore send quickly, and tel Dauid, saying: Tarie not this night in the champayne of the desert, but without delay passe ouer: lest perhaps the king be swalowed vp, and al the people that is with him.

17   And Ionathas & Achimaas stood by the Fountayne rogel: there went a maide and told them: and they went forward, to report the message to king Dauid: for they could not be seene, nor enter into the citie.

18   And a certayne boy saw them, and told Absalom: but they making hast entered into the house of a certayne man in Bahurim, who had a wel in his court, and they went downe into it.

19   And a woman tooke, and spred a couering

Dauid. ouer the mouth of the wel, as it were drying sodde barley: and so the thing was not knowen.

20   And when Absaloms seruantes were come into the house, they sayd to the woman: Where is Achimaas, and Ionathas? And the woman answered them: They passed in hast, hauing tasted a litle water. But they that sought, when they had not found, returned into Ierusalem.

21   And when these were gone, they went vp out of the wel, and going on told king Dauid, and sayd: Aryse ye, and passe quickly the riuer: because this maner of counsel hath Achitophel geuen against you.

22   Dauid therfore arose, and al the people that was with him, and they passed ouer Iordan, vntil it waxed light, and not one at al was remayning, which did not passe the riuer.

23   Moreouer Achitophel seing that his counsel was not executed, sadled his asse, and rose and went into his house and into his citie: and taking order with his house, ^note hanged him self, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

24   But Dauid came into the Campe, and Absalom passed ouer Iordan, he and al the men of Israel with him.

25   But Absalom appoynted Amasa for Ioab ouer the armie: and Amasa was the sonne of a man, which was called Iethra of Iezrael, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Naas, the sister of Saruia which was the mother of Ioab.

26   And Israel camped with Absalom in the Land of Galaad.

27   And when Dauid was come into the Campe, Sobi the sonne of Naas of Rabbath the sonnes of Ammon, and Machir the sonne of Amihel of Lodabar, & Berzellai the Galaadite of Rogelim,

28   presented vnto him hanginges, and tapestrie, and earthen vessels, wheate, and barley, and meale, and polent, and beanes, and rishe, and fryed pease,

29   and honie, and butter, sheepe, & fatte calues. and they gaue to Dauid and the people, that was with him, to eate: for they suspected that the people with hunger and thyrst was faynte in the desert.

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