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17 Dywedodd Ahitoffel hefyd wrth Absalom, Gad i mi yn awr ddewis deuddeng mil o wŷr, a mi a gyfodaf ac a erlidiaf ar ôl Dafydd y nos hon. A mi a ddeuaf arno tra fyddo ef yn lluddedig, ac yn wan ei ddwylo, ac a’i brawychaf ef: a ffy yr holl bobl sydd gydag ef; a mi a drawaf y brenin yn unig. A throaf yr holl bobl atat ti: megis pe dychwelai pob un, yw y gŵr yr ydwyt ti yn ei geisio: felly yr holl bobl fydd mewn heddwch. A da fu’r peth yng ngolwg Absalom, ac yng ngolwg holl henuriaid Israel. Yna y dywedodd Absalom, Galw yn awr hefyd ar Husai yr Arciad, a gwrandawn beth a ddywedo yntau hefyd. A phan ddaeth Husai at Absalom, llefarodd Absalom wrtho ef, gan ddywedyd, Fel hyn y dywedodd Ahitoffel: a wnawn ni ei gyngor ef? onid e, dywed di. A dywedodd Husai wrth Absalom, Nid da y cyngor a gynghorodd Ahitoffel y waith hon. Canys, eb Husai, ti a wyddost am dy dad a’i wŷr, mai cryfion ydynt hwy, a chreulon eu meddwl, megis arth wedi colli ei chenawon yn y maes: dy dad hefyd sydd ryfelwr, ac nid erys efe dros nos gyda’r bobl. Wele, yn awr y mae efe yn llechu mewn rhyw ogof, neu mewn rhyw le: a phan syrthio rhai ohonynt yn y dechrau, yna y bobl a glyw, ac a ddywed, Bu laddfa ymysg y bobl sydd ar ôl Absalom. 10 Yna yr un grymus, yr hwn y mae ei galon fel calon llew, a lwfrha: canys gŵyr holl Israel mai glew yw dy dad di, ac mai gwŷr grymus yw y rhai sydd gydag ef. 11 Am hynny y cynghoraf, lwyr gasglu atat ti holl Israel, o Dan hyd Beer‐seba, fel y tywod wrth y môr o amldra, a myned o’th wyneb di dy hun i’r rhyfel. 12 Felly y deuwn arno ef i un o’r lleoedd yr hwn y ceffir ef ynddo, ac a ruthrwn arno ef fel y syrth y gwlith ar y ddaear: ac ni adewir dim ohono ef, nac un chwaith o’r holl wŷr sydd gydag ef. 13 Ond os i ddinas yr ymgasgl efe, yna holl Israel a ddygant raffau at y ddinas honno, a ni a’i tynnwn hi i’r afon, fel na chaffer yno un garegan. 14 A dywedodd Absalom, a holl wŷr Israel, Gwell yw cyngor Husai yr Arciad na chyngor Ahitoffel. Canys yr Arglwydd a ordeiniasai ddiddymu cyngor da Ahitoffel, fel y dygai yr Arglwydd ddrwg ar Absalom.

15 Yna y dywedodd Husai wrth Sadoc ac wrth Abiathar yr offeiriaid, Fel hyn ac fel hyn y cynghorodd Ahitoffel i Absalom ac i henuriaid Israel: ac fel hyn ac fel hyn y cynghorais innau. 16 Yn awr gan hynny anfonwch yn fuan, a mynegwch i Dafydd, gan ddywedyd, Nac aros dros nos yng ngwastadedd yr anialwch, ond gan fyned dos; rhag difa’r brenin a’r holl bobl sydd gydag ef. 17 Jonathan hefyd ac Ahimaas oedd yn sefyll wrth En‐rogel; ac fe aeth llances ac a fynegodd iddynt. Hwythau a aethant ac a fynegasant i’r brenin Dafydd: canys ni allent hwy ymddangos i fyned i’r ddinas. 18 Eto llanc a’u gwelodd hwynt, ac a fynegodd i Absalom: ond hwy a aethant ymaith ill dau yn fuan, ac a ddaethant i dŷ gŵr yn Bahurim, ac iddo ef yr oedd pydew yn ei gyntedd; a hwy a aethant i waered yno. 19 A’r wraig a gymerth ac a ledodd glawr ar wyneb y pydew, ac a daenodd arno falurion ŷd; fel na wybuwyd y peth. 20 A phan ddaeth gweision Absalom at y wraig i’r tŷ, hwy a ddywedasant, Pa le y mae Ahimaas a Jonathan? A’r wraig a ddywedodd wrthynt, Hwy a aethant dros yr aber ddwfr. A phan geisiasant, ac nas cawsant hwynt, yna y dychwelasant i Jerwsalem. 21 Ac ar ôl iddynt hwy fyned ymaith, yna y lleill a ddaethant i fyny o’r pydew, ac a aethant ac a fynegasant i’r brenin Dafydd; ac a ddywedasant wrth Dafydd, Cyfodwch, ac ewch yn fuan dros y dwfr; canys fel hyn y cynghorodd Ahitoffel yn eich erbyn chwi. 22 Yna y cododd Dafydd a’r holl bobl y rhai oedd gydag ef, ac a aethant dros yr Iorddonen: erbyn goleuo’r bore nid oedd un yn eisiau a’r nad aethai dros yr Iorddonen.

23 A phan welodd Ahitoffel na wnaethid ei gyngor ef, efe a gyfrwyodd ei asyn, ac a gyfododd, ac a aeth i’w dŷ ei hun, i’w ddinas, ac a wnaeth drefn ar ei dŷ, ac a ymgrogodd, ac a fu farw, ac a gladdwyd ym meddrod ei dad. 24 Yna Dafydd a ddaeth i Mahanaim. Ac Absalom a aeth dros yr Iorddonen, efe a holl wŷr Israel gydag ef.

25 Ac Absalom a osododd Amasa yn lle Joab ar y llu, Ac Amasa oedd fab i ŵr a’i enw Ithra, yr hwn oedd Israeliad, yr hwn a aeth i mewn at Abigail merch Nahas, chwaer Serfia, mam Joab. 26 Felly y gwersyllodd Israel ac Absalom yng ngwlad Gilead.

27 A phan ddaeth Dafydd i Mahanaim, Sobi mab Nahas o Rabba meibion Ammon, a Machir mab Ammïel o Lo‐debar, a Barsilai y Gileadiad o Rogelim, 28 A ddygasant welyau, a chawgiau, a llestri pridd, a gwenith, a haidd, a blawd, a chras ŷd, a ffa, a ffacbys, a chras bys, 29 A mêl, ac ymenyn, a defaid, a chaws gwartheg, i Dafydd, ac i’r bobl oedd gydag ef, i’w bwyta. Canys dywedasant, Y mae y bobl yn newynog, yn flin hefyd, ac yn sychedig yn yr anialwch.

17 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would[a] choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. I would attack him while he is weary and weak.(A) I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king(B) and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.” This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

But Absalom said, “Summon also Hushai(C) the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say as well.” When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, “Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says? If not, give us your opinion.”

Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time. You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs.(D) Besides, your father is an experienced fighter;(E) he will not spend the night with the troops. Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place.(F) If he should attack your troops first,[b] whoever hears about it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’ 10 Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion,(G) will melt(H) with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave.(I)

11 “So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba(J)—as numerous as the sand(K) on the seashore—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle. 12 Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. 13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley(L) until not so much as a pebble is left.”

14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice(M) of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.”(N) For the Lord had determined to frustrate(O) the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster(P) on Absalom.(Q)

15 Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so. 16 Now send a message at once and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the wilderness;(R) cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.(S)’”

17 Jonathan(T) and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel.(U) A female servant was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. 18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left at once and went to the house of a man in Bahurim.(V) He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19 His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it.(W)

20 When Absalom’s men came to the woman(X) at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

The woman answered them, “They crossed over the brook.”[c] The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem.

21 After they had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said to him, “Set out and cross the river at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you.” 22 So David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice(Y) had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order(Z) and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

Absalom’s Death

24 David went to Mahanaim,(AA) and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25 Absalom had appointed Amasa(AB) over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether,[d](AC) an Ishmaelite[e] who had married Abigail,[f] the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab. 26 The Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash(AD) from Rabbah(AE) of the Ammonites, and Makir(AF) son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai(AG) the Gileadite(AH) from Rogelim 28 brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils,[g] 29 honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat.(AI) For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.(AJ)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 17:1 Or Let me
  2. 2 Samuel 17:9 Or When some of the men fall at the first attack
  3. 2 Samuel 17:20 Or “They passed by the sheep pen toward the water.”
  4. 2 Samuel 17:25 Hebrew Ithra, a variant of Jether
  5. 2 Samuel 17:25 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 2:17); Hebrew and other Septuagint manuscripts Israelite
  6. 2 Samuel 17:25 Hebrew Abigal, a variant of Abigail
  7. 2 Samuel 17:28 Most Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew lentils, and roasted grain