2 Samuel 17

17 ¹Den Ahithophel tell Absalom sey, "Make I pick 12,000 men, make I comot dis night go find David. ²I go attack am wen im don tire and weak, I go make fear catch am, and all im people go run comot; den na di king alone I go kill. ³I go bring all di people come back to you. Di one man wey you dey find—if e die, everybody go come back, and all di people go dey for peace."

⁴Dis plan sweet Absalom and all di elders of Israel. ⁵Absalom sey, "Call Hushai di Archite too, make we hear wetin im sef go talk."

⁶Wen Hushai come meet am, Absalom sey, "Ahithophel advise dis kind ting. Abi make we do wetin im talk? If no be so, make you sef talk."

⁷Hushai tell Absalom sey, "Di advice wey Ahithophel don give no good dis time. ⁸Hushai add sey, "You sabi your papa and im men—dem be strong warrior, dem be like bear wey dem thief im pikin comot for di bush. Your papa na person wey don fight tey; e no go sleep wit di soldiers." ⁹Even now e don hide for one hole or somewhere. If some of your men fall first, whoever hear am go sey, 'Dem don slaughter Absalom men!' ¹⁰Den even di most brave man, wey im heart be like lion heart, go melt wit fear, becos all Israel sabi sey your papa na warrior and di people wey dey wit am na brave people. ¹¹So na dis be my advice: gada all Israel come meet you, from Dan reach Beersheba, plenty like di sand for beside di sea, and you yasef go enta di battle. ¹²We go reach am for wherever e dey, we go land on top am like dew wey dey ground, and we no go leave am or any of im men alive. ¹³If e run enta one city, all Israel go bring rope come dia, and we go drag di city enta di valley reach di point wey even small stone no go remain."

¹⁴Absalom and all di men of Israel sey, "Di advice of Hushai di Archite beta pass Ahithophel own." Becos our Papa don already decide sey e go spoil di good advice of Ahithophel, so dat our Papa go fit bring wahala come on top Absalom.

¹⁵Hushai tell di priests Zadok and Abiathar sey, "Na dis be wetin Ahithophel advise Absalom and di elders of Israel, and na dis be wetin I advise. ¹⁶So now, send message quick-quick go David sey: 'No stay dis night for di crossing place of di wilderness; make you sure sey you cross over, if no be so, dem go swallow di king and all di people wey dey wit am.'"

¹⁷Jonathan and Ahimaaz dey wait for En-rogel; one servant girl go dey go tell dem, and dem go go tell King David, becos dem no fit make people see dem enta di city. ¹⁸But one young man see dem and tell Absalom. So di two of dem rush comot and reach one man house for Bahurim, wey get well for im compound, and dem climb down enta am. ¹⁹Di man wife spread cloth cover di mouth of di well and pour grain on top am, so dat nobody notice anytin. ²⁰Wen Absalom servants come meet di woman for di house, dem ask, "Where Ahimaaz and Jonathan dey?" Di woman sey, "Dem don cross di small river." Di men search, dem no see anybody, and dem go back to Jerusalem.

²¹Afta dem comot, di two men climb comot for di well and go report to King David. Dem tell am sey, "Get up and cross di water quick-quick, becos Ahithophel don plan dis kind ting against you."

²²So David and everybody wey dey wit am get up and cross di Jordan. By di time e dey break day, no even one person remain wey never cross am.

²³Wen Ahithophel see sey dem no follow im advice, e put saddle for im donkey and go im house for im town. E arrange im house well-well, den e hang imsef. E die and dem bury am for im papa tomb.

²⁴David come reach Mahanaim, wen Absalom cross di Jordan wit all di men of Israel wey dey wit am. ²⁵Absalom don put Amasa over di army for place of Joab. Amasa papa na Ithra di Israelite, wey marry Abigail di pikin of Nahash, wey be sister to Zeruiah, Joab mama. ²⁶Israel and Absalom camp for di land of Gilead.

²⁷Wen David reach Mahanaim, Shobi di pikin of Nahash from Rabbah of di Ammonites, Machir di pikin of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai di Gileadite from Rogelim, ²⁸bring bed, basin, and clay pot, plus wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, ²⁹honey, curd, sheep, and cheese from di herd give David and im people make dem chop, becos dem sey, "Di people don hungry, dem don tire, and thirst dey catch dem for di wilderness."