Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the abundance of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against You.
Now David informed them, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Yahweh, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.”
Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For Yahweh had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that Yahweh might bring calamity on Absalom.
Now Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed. So he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.
Now it happened that as he was talking with him, the king said to him, “Have we given you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has counseled to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who are glad at the evil done to me; Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.
Her adversaries have become her masters; Her enemies are complacent; For Yahweh has caused her grief Because of the greatness of her transgressions; Her infants have gone away As captives before the adversary.
¶The days of punishment have come; The days of recompense have come; Let Israel know this! The prophet is an ignorant fool, The inspired man has madness, Because of the abundance of your iniquity And because your hostility has abounded.
But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land, for Yahweh your God stiffened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to give him over into your hand, as he is today.
And should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with Yahweh your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
Then David heard that Nabal was dead, so he said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. Yahweh has also returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife.