if

Unto whom Dauid said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden vnto me.

But if thou returne to the citie, and say vnto Absalom, I wil be thy seruant, O king: as I haue bene thy fathers seruant hitherto, so will I now also be thy seruant: then mayest thou for mee defeat the counsell of Ahithophel.

And the counsell of Ahithophel which he counselled in those dayes, was as if a man had enquired at the Oracle of God: so was all the counsell of Ahithophel, both with Dauid and with Absalom.

1611 marginal noteHeb. word.

And I wil bring backe all the people vnto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.

And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake vnto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this maner: shall we doe after his saying? if not, speake thou.

1611 marginal noteHeb. word.

Moreouer, if hee be gotten into a citie, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the riuer, vntill there be not one small stone found there.

But the people answered, Thou shalt not goe foorth: for if we flee away, they will not care for vs, neither if halfe of vs die will they care for vs: but now thou art worth ten thousand of vs: therfore now it is better that thou succour vs out of the citie.

1611 marginal noteHeb. set their heart on vs.

1611 marginal noteHeb. as ten thousand of vs.

1611 marginal noteHeb. be to succour.

And the watchman cried, and told the King. And the king said, If he bee alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew neere.

In that thou louest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends; for thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes, nor seruants: for this day I perceiue, that if Absalom had liued, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

1611 marginal noteHeb. by louing, &c.

1611 marginal noteHeb. that princes or seruants are not to thee.

Now therefore arise, goe foorth, and speake comfortably vnto thy seruants: for I sweare by the LORD, if thou goe not forth, there wil not tarie one with thee this night, and that will be worse vnto thee then all the euill that befell thee from thy youth vntill now.

1611 marginal noteHeb. to the heart of thy seruants.