From the Death of Saul to the Death of David - Flavius Josephus

Now Ahithophel only asked him to let him have ten thousand chosen men,
and he promised he would slay his father, and bring the soldiers back again
in safety; and he said that then the kingdom would be firm to him when
David was dead [but not otherwise]. Absalom was pleased with this advice,
and called for Hushai, David's friend (for so did he style him); and informing
him of the opinion of Ahithophel, he asked, further, what was his opinion
concerning that matter. Now he was sensible that if Ahithophel's counsel
were followed, David would be in danger of being seized on, and slain; so he
attempted to introduce a contrary opinion, and said, Thou art not
unacquainted, O king, with the valor of thy father, and of those that are now
with him; that he hath made many wars, and hath always come off with
victory, though probably he now abides in the camp, for he is very skiliful in
stratagems, and in foreseeing the deceitful tricks of his enemies; yet will he
leave his own soldiers in the evening, and will either hide himself in some
valley, or will place an ambush at some rock; so that when our army joins
battle with him, his soldiers will retire for a little while, but will come upon
us again, as encouraged by the king's being near them; and in the mean time
your father will show himself suddenly in the time of the battle, and will
infuse courage into his own people when they are in danger, but bring
consternation to thine. Consider, therefore, my advice, and reason upon it,
and if thou canst not but acknowledge it to be the best, reject the opinion of
Ahithophel. Send to the entire country of the Hebrews, and order them to
come and fight with thy father; and do thou thyself take the army, and be
thine own general in this war, and do not trust its management to another;
then expect to conquer him with ease, when thou overtakest him openly with
his few partisans, but hast thyself many ten thousands, who will be desirous
to demonstrate to thee their diligence and alacrity. And if thy father shall
shut himself up in some city, and bear a siege, we will overthrow that city
with machines of war, and by undermining it." When Hushai had said this,
he obtained his point against Ahithophel, for his opinion was preferred by
Absalom before the other's: however, it was no other than God (2) who made
the counsel of Hushai appear best to the mind of Absalom.
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