¹² And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for^{[a] (A)}Ahithophel the Gilonite, ^(B)David's counselor, from his city ^(C)Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom ^(D)kept increasing.

²³ Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, ^(A)both by David and by Absalom.