Absalom and all the Israelites said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than Ahithophel’s advice.” {They said this} because it was the Lord’s plan. The Lord had planned to make Ahithophel’s good advice useless. That is how the Lord would punish Absalom.
So Adoni Zedek and his people were very scared. Gibeon was not a little town like Ai. Gibeon was a very big city—it was as big as any royal city. [47] And all the men in that city were good fighters. So the king was afraid.
If that man kills me, then he wins and we Philistines will become your slaves. But if I kill your man, then I win, and you will become our slaves. You will have to serve us!”