Psalms 3:1

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 defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom.

When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, arose, and went home, to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.

Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;

Yahweh brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.

Praise be to Yahweh, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.

They conspire and lurk, watching my steps. They are eager to take my life.

But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter. I didn’t know that they had devised plans against me, saying, “Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit, and let’s cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.”

For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

It shall be that whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is on him.

The children of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. All the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth Shean and its towns, and those who are in the valley of Jezreel.”

So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the inner sanctuary of God. All the counsel of Ahithophel both was like this with David and with Absalom.

Show your marvelous loving kindness, you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.

As for God, his way is perfect. Yahweh’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

Now I know that Yahweh saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand.

For in the day of trouble, he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the secret place of his tabernacle, he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock.

In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.

Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.

Deliver me from the workers of iniquity. Save me from the bloodthirsty men.

Don’t hold the iniquities of our forefathers against us. Let your tender mercies speedily meet us, for we are in desperate need.

Deliver me, Yahweh, from my enemies. I flee to you to hide me.

A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a large rock in a weary land.

who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;

Yet, Yahweh, you know all their counsel against me to kill me. Don’t forgive their iniquity. Don’t blot out their sin from your sight, Let them be overthrown before you. Deal with them in the time of your anger.

They will cut down her forest,” says Yahweh, “though it can’t be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.

It will happen that, when anyone still prophesies, then his father and his mother who bore him will tell him, ‘You must die, because you speak lies in Yahweh’s name;’ and his father and his mother who bore him will stab him when he prophesies.

saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”

asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way.

His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me.”

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.

So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them.

For they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it.

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.

David said to him, “Your blood be on your head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain Yahweh’s anointed.’ ”

Someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines that he has left to keep the house. Then all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.”

So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in custody, and provided them with sustenance, but didn’t go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.

The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,

Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me.

You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son.

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;

They conspire with cunning against your people. They plot against your cherished ones.

Yahweh preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he saved me.

Though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies. Your right hand will save me.

Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand, for God is with us.”

I will stir up the Egyptians against the Egyptians, and they will fight everyone against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.

All your enemies have opened their mouth wide against you. They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say, “We have swallowed her up. Certainly this is the day that we looked for. We have found it. We have seen it.”

therefore, behold, I will deliver you to the children of the east for a possession. They will set their encampments in you, and make their dwellings in you. They will eat your fruit and they will drink your milk.

It will happen in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.

Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?

My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.

They went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.

Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, “Behold, my son, who came out of my bowels, seeks my life. How much more this Benjamite, now? Leave him alone, and let him curse; for Yahweh has invited him.

Hold them guilty, God. Let them fall by their own counsels. Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against you.

Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea; Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men.

So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.

Surely men of low degree are just a breath, and men of high degree are a lie. In the balances they will go up. They are together lighter than a breath.

He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke. I don’t forget your statutes.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I don’t forget your commandments.

Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.

Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.

“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.

Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.

Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the lawyer of this world? Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good,

Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead.

This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.

All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.

The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is on the seashore for multitude.

Now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.

The king went out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house.

Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.

He frustrates the plans of the crafty, So that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.

But my enemies are vigorous and many. Those who hate me without reason are numerous.

My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me.

The ropes of the wicked bind me, but I won’t forget your law.

if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, when men rose up against us;

Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need. Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.

All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”

Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.