2 Samuel 17
Open in the reader1Furthermore, My-Brother-Is-Folly said to Father-of-Peace, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of Beloved.
2I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king
3and bring all the people back to you as a bride returning to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; then all the people will be at peace.”
4This proposal seemed good to Father-of-Peace and all the elders of Strives-with-God.
5Then Father-of-Peace said, “Summon Hasty the Archite as well, and let us hear what he too has to say.”
6So Hasty came to Father-of-Peace, who told him, “My-Brother-Is-Folly has spoken this proposal. Should we carry it out? If not, what do you say?”
7Hasty replied, “This time the advice of My-Brother-Is-Folly is not sound.”
8He continued, “You know your father and his men. They are mighty men, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Moreover, your father is a man of war who will not spend the night with the troops.
9Surely by now he is hiding in a cave or some other location. If some of your troops fall first, whoever hears of it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Father-of-Peace.’
10Then even the most valiant soldier with the heart of a lion will melt with fear, because all Strives-with-God knows that your father is a mighty man who has valiant men with him.
11Instead, I advise that all Strives-with-God from Judge to Well-of-Oath—a multitude like the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, and that you yourself lead them into battle.
12Then we will attack Beloved wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. And of all the men with him, not even one will remain.
13If he retreats to a city, all Strives-with-God will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not even a pebble can be found there.”
14Then Father-of-Peace and all the men of Strives-with-God said, “The advice of Hasty the Archite is better than that of My-Brother-Is-Folly.” For He-Who-Is had purposed to thwart the good counsel of My-Brother-Is-Folly in order to bring disaster on Father-of-Peace.
15So Hasty told Righteous and Father-of-Abundance, the priests, “This is what My-Brother-Is-Folly has advised Father-of-Peace and the elders of Strives-with-God, and this is what I have advised.
16Now send quickly and tell Beloved, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but be sure to cross over. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’”
17Now He-Who-Is-Has-Given and My-Brother-Is-Wrath were staying at Spring-of-the-Fuller, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King Beloved, for they dared not be seen entering the city.
18But a young man did see them and told Father-of-Peace. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Young-Men. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.
19Then the man’s wife took a covering, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain over it so nobody would know a thing.
20When Father-of-Peace’s servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are My-Brother-Is-Wrath and He-Who-Is-Has-Given?” “They have crossed over the brook,” she replied. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Foundation-of-Peace.
21After the men had gone, My-Brother-Is-Wrath and Jonathan climbed up out of the well and went to inform King Beloved, saying, “Get up and cross over the river at once, for My-Brother-Is-Folly has given this advice against you.”
22So Beloved and all the people with him got up and crossed the Descender. By daybreak, there was no one left who had not crossed the Descender.
23When My-Brother-Is-Folly saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
24Then Beloved went to Two-Camps, and Father-of-Peace crossed the Descender with all the men of Strives-with-God.
25Father-of-Peace had appointed Burden over the army in place of He-Who-Is-Father. Burden was the son of a man named Ithra, the God-Hears-Folk who had married My-Father-Is-Joy, the daughter of Serpent and sister of Balm the mother of He-Who-Is-Father.
26So the children of Strives-with-God and Father-of-Peace camped in the land of Heap-of-Witness.
27When Beloved came to Two-Camps, he was met by Shobi son of Serpent from Great of the children of Kindred, Salesman son of My-Kinsman-Is-God from No-Pasture, and Iron-Man the Witness-Heap-One from Fullers.
28They brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,
29honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for Beloved and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”