Not long after that, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men, and tonight I will set out after David.

and then bring back all his men to you, like a bride returning to her husband. You want to kill only one man; the rest of the people will be safe."

Absalom said, "Now call Hushai, and let us hear what he has to say."

Hushai answered, "The advice Ahithophel gave you this time is no good.

Right now he is probably hiding in a cave or some other place. As soon as David attacks your men, whoever hears about it will say that your men have been defeated.

My advice is that you bring all the Israelites together from one end of the country to the other, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore, and that you lead them personally in battle.

If he retreats into a city, our people will all bring ropes and just pull the city into the valley below. Not a single stone will be left there on top of the hill."

Then Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar what advice he had given to Absalom and the Israelite leaders and what advice Ahithophel had given.

Abiathar's son Jonathan and Zadok's son Ahimaaz were waiting at the spring of Enrogel, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, because they did not dare be seen entering the city. A servant woman would regularly go and tell them what was happening, and then they would go and tell King David.

The man's wife took a covering, spread it over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it, so that no one would notice anything.

After they left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan came up out of the well and went and reported to King David. They told him what Ahithophel had planned against him and said, "Hurry up and cross the river."

When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and went back to his hometown. After putting his affairs in order, he hanged himself. He was buried in the family grave.

(Absalom had put Amasa in command of the army in the place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether the Ishmaelite; his mother was Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab's mother Zeruiah.)

When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash, from the city of Rabbah in Ammon, and by Machir son of Ammiel, from Lodebar, and by Barzillai, from Rogelim in Gilead.

(SEE 17:28)

LORD, I have come to you for protection; never let me be defeated!

Be my secure shelter and a strong fortress to protect me; you are my refuge and defense.

Sovereign LORD, I put my hope in you; I have trusted in you since I was young.

My life has been an example to many, because you have been my strong defender.

Do not reject me now that I am old; do not abandon me now that I am feeble.

They say, "God has abandoned him; let's go after him and catch him; there is no one to rescue him."

May those who attack me be defeated and destroyed. May those who try to hurt me be shamed and disgraced.

I will tell of your goodness; all day long I will speak of your salvation, though it is more than I can understand.

You have taught me ever since I was young, and I still tell of your wonderful acts.

Your righteousness, God, reaches the skies. You have done great things; there is no one like you.

You will make me greater than ever; you will comfort me again.

I will shout for joy as I play for you; with my whole being I will sing because you have saved me.

When Jesus had finished teaching all these things, he said to his disciples,

Then the chief priests and the elders met together in the palace of Caiaphas, the High Priest,

"We must not do it during the festival," they said, "or the people will riot."

While Jesus was eating, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar filled with an expensive perfume, which she poured on his head.

"This perfume could have been sold for a large amount and the money given to the poor!"

You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me.

Now, I assure you that wherever this gospel is preached all over the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

and asked, "What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?" They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him.

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Where do you want us to get the Passover meal ready for you?"

The disciples did as Jesus had told them and prepared the Passover meal.

During the meal Jesus said, "I tell you, one of you will betray me."

Jesus answered, "One who dips his bread in the dish with me will betray me.

Judas, the traitor, spoke up. "Surely, Teacher, you don't mean me?" he asked. Jesus answered, "So you say."

Then he took a cup, gave thanks to God, and gave it to them. "Drink it, all of you," he said;

I tell you, I will never again drink this wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in my Father's Kingdom."

Then Jesus said to them, "This very night all of you will run away and leave me, for the scripture says, 'God will kill the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, "I will never leave you, even though all the rest do!"

Peter answered, "I will never say that, even if I have to die with you!" And all the other disciples said the same thing.

He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. Grief and anguish came over him,

He went a little farther on, threw himself face downward on the ground, and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering from me! Yet not what I want, but what you want."

Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

He returned once more and found the disciples asleep; they could not keep their eyes open.

Then he returned to the disciples and said, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the power of sinners.

Jesus was still speaking when Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs and sent by the chief priests and the elders.

Judas went straight to Jesus and said, "Peace be with you, Teacher," and kissed him.

One of those who were with Jesus drew his sword and struck at the High Priest's slave, cutting off his ear.

Don't you know that I could call on my Father for help, and at once he would send me more than twelve armies of angels?

Then Jesus spoke to the crowd, "Did you have to come with swords and clubs to capture me, as though I were an outlaw? Every day I sat down and taught in the Temple, and you did not arrest me.

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the teachers of the Law and the elders had gathered together.

The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some false evidence against Jesus to put him to death;

and said, "This man said, 'I am able to tear down God's Temple and three days later build it back up.' "

But Jesus kept quiet. Again the High Priest spoke to him, "In the name of the living God I now put you under oath: tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God."

At this the High Priest tore his clothes and said, "Blasphemy! We don't need any more witnesses! You have just heard his blasphemy!

Then they spat in his face and beat him; and those who slapped him

Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard when one of the High Priest's servant women came to him and said, "You, too, were with Jesus of Galilee."

and went on out to the entrance of the courtyard. Another servant woman saw him and said to the men there, "He was with Jesus of Nazareth."

After a little while the men standing there came to Peter. "Of course you are one of them," they said. "After all, the way you speak gives you away!"

and Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: "Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you do not know me." He went out and wept bitterly.