Achitophel said to Avsholom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men and I will arise and pursue after Dovid tonight."

I will reach him [when] he will be tired and weak. I will frighten him [suddenly] and all the people with him will flee and I will strike [only] the king himself.

I will return all the people to you. When they all return [to you] [except] the man you want [killed] [then] all the people will have peace.

The idea was favorable in Avsholom's eyes and in the eyes of all of the elders of Yisroel.

Avsholom said, "Call Chushai the Arkite also and let us hear what he has to say."

Chushai came to Avsholom and Avsholom said to him, saying, "Achitophel said such and such, should we do as he said or not? you tell [us]."

Chushai said to Avsholom, "The advice is not good that Achitophel has given this time."

Chushai said, "You know your father and his men that they are strong and they are embittered souls like a bear bereft of it's children [fighting] in the field. Your father is a man of war and he will not rest with the people.

Now, he is hiding in one of the pits or one of the places [to hide]. When some of the men fall at the beginning [of their battles], a person will hear and will say, 'There was a disaster amongst the people that follow after Avsholom.'

Even if he is a soldier who has a heart like that of a lion, his heart will surely melt because all of Yisroel knows that your father is strong as are the soldiers that are with him.

But I advise [as follows:], Gather unto you all of Yisroel from Dan to Be'er Sheva a multitude like the sand by the sea and you yourself should go to war.

We will reach him in one of the places where he will be found and we will encamp upon him as the dew falls on the ground and there will be none left, not of him nor of any of the men with him [not] even one.

And if they gather into a city [then] all of Yisroel should go up to that city in groups. We will drag [the city wall] into the valley [below] until not even a pebble will be found there.

Avsholom and all the men of Yisroel said, "Chushai the Arkite's advice is better then Achitophel's advice." Adonoy commanded to annul the good advice of Achitophel in order for Adonoy to bring evil upon Avsholom.

Chushai said to Tzodok and to Evyosor the Kohanim, "Such and such Achitophel advised Avsholom and the elders of Yisroel and I advised [him] such and such.

And now, send [messengers] quickly and tell Dovid saying, 'Do not rest tonight in the plains of the desert, but cross over it, because [my suggestion] may be rejected by the king and all the people with him.

Yahonoson and Achima'atz were standing by the launderers' fountain, and the handmaiden used to go and tell them and they went and told King Dovid because they could not [let themselves] be seen by coming into the city.

A young man saw them and told Avsholom. They went quickly and came to a man's house in Bachurim and he had a well in his courtyard and they descended into it.

The woman took [a curtain] and spread the curtain over the face of the well and she spread ground wheat on it and the matter did not become known.

Avsholom's servants came to the woman's house and said, "Where are Achima'atz and Yehonoson?" The woman said [in reply], "They crossed over the stream of water." They searched [but] did not find [them] and returned to Yerusholoyim.

After they [Avsholom's servants] left they climbed up from the well and went and told King Dovid. They said to Dovid, "Rise and quickly cross over the water for such has Achitophfelophel advised against you."

Dovid rose together with all the people with him and they crossed over the Yardein. By the light of the morning. not one [person] was missing who did not cross over the Yardein.

Achitophel saw that his advice was not put into action. He saddled his donkey, got up and went to his house [in] his city. He gave [his last] instructions to his family. He [then] strangled himself and died. He was buried in his father's grave.

Dovid came to Machanoyim [as] Avsholom crossed the Yardein, he and all the men of Yisroel with him.

Avsholom put Amosoh [at the head] of the army in place of Yoav. Amosoh was the son of a man, whose name was Yisrah the Yisroelite who had relations with Avigal, the daughter of Nochosh, [who was] the sister of Tsruyoh, the mother of Yoav.

[The men of] Yisroel and Avsholom encamped in the land of Gilod.

When Dovid came to Machanoyim, [he met] Shovi, the son of Nochosh from Rabbahs of the people of Amon and Mochir, the son of Amiel from Lo Devor and Barzilai, the Gilodite from Roglim.

[They brought] mats, and basins earthenware utensils, wheat, barley flour, toasted grain, beans, lentils toasted lentils,

honey, butter, sheep and cow's cheese they brought to Dovid and to the people with him to eat because they said, "The people are hungry, tired and thirsty in the desert."