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Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

2 Samuel 16:20

Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Tell us what we should do."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahithophel;   Council;   War;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Concubine;   Easton Bible Dictionary - King;   Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Inheritance;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   Dance;   Jerusalem;  

Encyclopedias:

- Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ahithophel;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me your advice. What should we do?”
Hebrew Names Version
Then said Avshalom to Achitofel, Give your counsel what we shall do.
King James Version
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
Lexham English Bible
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your advice. What shall we do?"
English Standard Version
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your counsel. What shall we do?"
New English Translation
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do?"
Amplified Bible
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give me your advice. What should we do?"
New American Standard Bible
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your advice. What should we do?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then spake Absalom to Ahithophel, Giue counsell what we shall doe.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your advice. What shall we do?"
Contemporary English Version
Absalom turned to Ahithophel and said, "Give us your advice! What should we do?"
Complete Jewish Bible
Avshalom said to Achitofel, "Give your advice as to what we should do."
Darby Translation
And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
Easy-to-Read Version
Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Please tell us what we should do."
George Lamsa Translation
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give me counsel, as to what we shall do.
Good News Translation
Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and said, "Now that we are here, what do you advise us to do?"
Literal Translation
And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your counsel, what we shall do.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Absalom sayde vnto Achitophel: Geue vs youre councell what we shal do?
American Standard Version
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give your counsel what we shall do.
Bible in Basic English
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your opinion now, what are we to do?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then spake Absalom to Ahithophel: Geue counsel what we shall do.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel: 'Give your counsel what we shall do.'
King James Version (1611)
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Giue counsell among you what we shall doe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Abessalom said to Achitophel, Deliberate among yourselves concerning what we should do.
English Revised Version
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give your counsel what we shall do.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give me counsel. What should we do?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Absolon seide to Achitofel, Take ye counsel, what we owen to do.
Young's Literal Translation
And Absalom saith unto Ahithophel, `Give for you counsel what we do.'
Update Bible Version
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your counsel what we shall do.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
World English Bible
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give your counsel what we shall do.
New King James Version
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give advice as to what we should do."
New Living Translation
Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and asked him, "What should I do next?"
New Life Bible
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your wise words. What should we do?"
New Revised Standard
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your counsel; what shall we do?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Absolom unto Ahithophel, - Give ye your counsel, what we shall do.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Absalom said to Achitophel: Consult what we are to do.
Revised Standard Version
Then Ab'salom said to Ahith'ophel, "Give your counsel; what shall we do?"
THE MESSAGE
Then Absalom spoke to Ahithophel, "Are you ready to give counsel? What do we do next?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your advice. What shall we do?"

Contextual Overview

15 Meanwhile, Absalom, Ahithophel, and all the Israelites arrived at Jerusalem. 16 David's friend Hushai the Arkite came to Absalom and said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the king!" 17 Absalom asked, "Why are you not loyal to your friend David? Why didn't you leave Jerusalem with your friend?" 18 Hushai said, "I belong to the one chosen by the Lord and by these people and everyone in Israel. I will stay with you. 19 In the past I served your father. So whom should I serve now? David's son! I will serve you as I served him." 20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Tell us what we should do." 21 Ahithophel said, "Your father left behind some of his slave women to take care of the palace. Have sexual relations with them. Then all Israel will hear that your father is your enemy, and all your people will be encouraged to give you more support." 22 So they put up a tent for Absalom on the roof of the palace where everyone in Israel could see it. And Absalom had sexual relations with his father's slave women. 23 At that time people thought Ahithophel's advice was as reliable as God's own word. Both David and Absalom thought it was that reliable.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Give counsel: Exodus 1:10, Psalms 2:2, Psalms 37:12, Psalms 37:13, Proverbs 21:30, Isaiah 8:10, Isaiah 29:15, Matthew 27:1, Acts 4:23-28

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 15:12 - Ahithophel 1 Kings 12:6 - consulted 2 Chronicles 10:6 - What counsel Psalms 43:1 - the deceitful Psalms 86:14 - assemblies Isaiah 5:18 - draw James 3:6 - a world

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said Absalom to Ahithophel,.... Having two such able counsellors as he and Hushai, he directs his speech to Ahithophel, as being his first and chief counsellor:

give counsel among you what we shall do; he orders them to form a counsel, consult among themselves what was proper to be now done at Jerusalem, whether it was right to stay here or pursue after David and his men. Absalom did not send to the high priest to ask counsel of God, by Urim and Thummim before the ark, but wholly confided in his privy council.


 
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